The Point of Being Young
by esren
Summary: RoryLogan: Is it a game or will it be more? post You Jump, I Jump Jack Ch 54 up
1. Green Aliens and Pink Bunnies

Chapter 1: Green Aliens and Pink Bunnies

The ringing phone was a shrill alarm clock.

Without opening her eyes Rory felt for her pillow to block out the sound. When she didn't immediately come into contact with the soft fabric she hesitantly opened one eye a crack. She had a horrible crick in her neck and as she blearily eyed her surrounding she found herself sprawled face first over a pile of books on her desk. The phone was ringing again and she groaned as she realized that it was across the room. Staggering across the floor she grabbed the phone and collapsed onto her bed before hitting the answer button.

"What..." she croaked in a hoarse sleepy voice.

"Wake up sleepy head" she heard in a way too chipper tone from the other end.

"Mom? Why in god's name are you calling me so early, how many cups of coffee have you had anyway, I am going to have to call Luke and tell him to cut you off."

Lorelai gave a shocked gasp at this threat "Is this Rory? Surely this couldn't be Rory, my loving daughter, who has just had the gall to threaten my coffee supply. Take it back this instant or I will have to phone in a call to the FBI and tell them that I have definite proof that my daughter was abducted by aliens, quick go look in the mirror and check for little green antennae."

Rory groaned again realizing that her mother was on a caffeine induced roll this morning and there was no chance she was going to get back to sleep anytime soon, slowly she pried one eye open. She gasped in shock and bolted upright when she saw the time on her bedside clock.... Damn, she must have slept through the alarm and now she only had 20 minutes to get coffee and get to class. She realized then that she was still holding the phone to her ear.

"Mom, what's up?" she said, now scrambling around her room looking for clean clothes.

"Well, ungrateful offspring who may be an alien, I was just calling to give you the most recent update on the saga of Luke meeting the elder Gilmore Duo.... you will not believe the horror that he has endured this time.... let me just say four little words golf at the club"

Rory grunted in reply, only half listening as she hurriedly dressed, only 15 minutes to go, she grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair, no time for a shower, clearly coffee was a higher priority that cleanliness if she intended to be awake through her poly sci class. Grabbing her purse and slamming the door behind her she was halfway across the courtyard before she realized that her mom's voice was breaking up, she looked at her hand and realized that she had walked out of her room with the cordless phone.

"Mom, I would love to hear the rest of this rant but can I have a rain check...I have lots to tell you as well, here's a little preview, safari hats, gorillas and umbrellas... right now I have to sprint or I won't have time to even get coffee and you should respect the type of tragedy that would be."

"Oh, mean ....who taught you to be so cruel, giving me a teaser like that, now I will be making up all sorts of crazy tales in my head all morning and what have I told you about sprinting...Gilmore's never sprint...anywhere, its against rule number 15 of the Gilmore Girl Code...have I taught you nothing" she relented after an exaggerated sigh "Okay hon., even I have to bow to the gods of coffee, call me after your class and spill all the dirt. Better call me soon or who knows what kind of stories I will have concocted to tell your grandmother."

She dropped the phone back onto the desk beside the door and slammed the door behind her as she raced for the coffee cart across the quad. If there was no line then she could make it to her class, just barely. She rocked impatiently from one foot to another as she waited for the person in front of her counting the seconds until the caffeine bolus hit her system. She stepped forward and ordered the largest cup of coffee they offered, gripping the hot cup in her hands to warm them as she stepped back from the kiosk with a smile for the guy behind the coffee machine. She cursed softly when she backed right into someone and came dangerously close to spilling the precious liquid; she whirled to confront the rude individual.

"Watch where you are going, you nearly made me spill my coffee and let me tell you do not want to know what the punishment is for that crime, if you value your health you do not want to be the thing standing between me and caffeine in the morning." She came face to face with the perpetrator as she finished her threatening diatribe and stopped short when she met a pair of laughing brown eyes.

"Well, good morning to you too Ace, that was a pretty good rant I must say. You made the threat entirely believable with the wild caffeine depraved look in your eyes.... had me shaking in my boots."

She just gaped at him for a second but then collected her wits an narrowed her eyes at him, "Hello Huntzberger, you have just confirmed my darkest suspicions...you really are the root of all evil today."

"Who Me?" he said with exaggerated innocence.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, she was in no mood for this playful banter, she was almost late for class and here he was lurking at the coffee booth just waiting for the opportunity to poke fun at her, BEFORE coffee, she narrowed her eyes at him and poked a finger into his chest

"Yes, you. Clearly you are the evil mastermind behind my day so far."

He quirked an eyebrow with an infuriatingly skeptical look and glancing with a smirk at the finger touching his chest he gestured with his hand for her to continue "Please, do explain...I didn't realized that I had so much control over your life, but I can't wait to hear this theory."

She knew she was acting a little crazy but that smirk really got under her skin and she couldn't stop the words from rolling off her tongue. She glared at him as she ranted "Its very simple, but I will say it in small words so even you can understand...If you hadn't made me go to that overnight thing without telling me it was an overnight thing which meant that I didn't finish my soc paper until last night and fell asleep on my desk, leaving lovely book marks on my face I might add, I'm not sure yet what you had to do with me sleeping through my alarm but I have a conspiracy theory I am working on that involves Paris, regardless, if none of that had happened I would not currently be standing here with only my first cup of coffee, which you nearly made me spill" she glanced at her watch mid-sentence and gasped "and now I am late for class." With a last poke for emphasis she whirled and dashed towards the poly sci building trying not to spill her coffee along the way.

Logan's words trailing behind her made her pause half way up the steps "Have a great day Ace, oh, and by the way, nice slippers."

She looked down in confusion and could have died of mortification when she saw the pink bunnies that adorned her feet, in her rush she must have put them on instead of her shoes. She groaned in irritation. She refused to look back at him, knowing he was getting a great laugh at her expense but she would be damned if she would let him see her embarrassment, raising her head high she stomped towards her class.

As Logan watched her stalk away, her pink bunny slippers slapping against the sidewalk, her back rod straight with annoyance he couldn't help but chuckle. The score was Huntzberger 1 Gilmore 0 but he knew their game was only beginning and anticipating their next match was half the fun. He was whistling to himself as he walked away....


	2. The Last Laugh

Chapter 2: The Last Laugh

As Rory stared at her computer screen she couldn't help the droll smile that appeared on her face. She chuckled at the memory of the group of boys having entire conversations without using the letter e. The whole experience had not been what she had expected after all the cloak and dagger theatrics. She had imagined more danger, maybe some minor lawbreaking, definitely not intellectual word games and vintage safari outfits. In some ways the truth was more dangerous.

She had expected to find a group of rich and privileged youth who broke the law just because they could, had expected to find something she could expose and ridicule. Sure, it was still a hedonistic game, but there was a certain poignant elegance to it, an old world charm that appealed to her more than she had expected it to.

However, that didn't mean there was any shortage of stories to tell and she rubbed her hands together thinking about her article. This was going to be fun.

She was smiling as she crafted the words to describe the group who advertised themselves as daredevils but mostly acted like eccentric intellectuals carrying on some tradition of silliness for nothing but the thrill of it. She figured that only at a place like Yale would such a group hold such an honored place in local lore.

Really, it shouldn't have surprised her, given their few bantering interactions so far that Logan had been right at home in the midst of that world...practically their king. She grudgingly admitted to herself that she had enjoyed it as well. In a weak moment she might even acknowledge that it was possible that she had underestimated Logan but she would never admit that aloud even on pain of death. Clearly there would be nothing gained by padding Logan's already fat ego...Master and Commander indeed.... she snorted to herself just remembering his cocky grin. He was just the kind of guy who liked to push people's buttons, taunt and tease until they were on the edge of civility and cloak it all in that arrogant charm of his. Well, she thought, two could play that game. Just wait until he saw her article...then they would see who got the last laugh.

She was still thumbing through her handwritten notes when she heard an insistent knock on the door that broke her concentration. Who could that be? She wasn't expecting any visitors at the moment. Maybe it was someone looking for Paris, who knew what religious icon she had riled up this time. She was pretty sure that any day now they were going to find burning crosses outside their dorm window.

Grudgingly she walked to the door and was a little irritated when the door swung open to a deserted corridor. She looked around quickly and then noticed the items lying in front of her door, her confiscated camera, a gorilla mask and a bottle of champagne. Unbidden, another smile quirked her lips.

Picking up the items she flipped quickly through the pictures on her camera realizing that Logan must have had someone take a picture when they were on top of the tower. When she got to the one of the two of them holding hands as they jumped her stomach did a funny little flip as she remembered that strange tingling she had felt when he grabbed her hand. She quickly blew it off though when she realized where her mind was going.... it was just a side effect of the exhilaration and fear of the jump...nothing more. She had Dean, her first love, why would she ever feel anything other than annoyance for some condescending, irritating , spoiled little rich boy? Just because he could string two sentences together in a mildly amusing manner didn't mean that she would fall victim to his conceited charm. Sure, he was easy on the eyes but that definitely didn't outweigh the "I'm God's gift to women" attitude he so proudly displayed. Scoffing at the mere thought she dropped the mask and champagne onto a nearby table and headed back to her story, filled with gleeful anticipation at the prospect of getting his goat for good.

She was still chortling to herself an hour later as she finished a rough draft of her article. She was definitely going to enjoy seeing Logan's face when he read her take on the infamous Life and Death Brigade.

Her phone rang and she mindlessly grabbed for it, her eyes still glued to the computer screen, with one hand she flipped it open not bothering to glance at the caller id first. She instantly regretted it when she heard the voice on the other end of the line

"Rory?"

She groaned inwardly "Hi Grandma, how are you."

"I'm fine dear, I just wanted to call you to invite you to a dinner party that we are having in your honor. I didn't trust your mother to pass on the information without a lot of artistic license so I called you myself. It will be Friday night starting at 7 pm, I already have a dress picked out for you so you don't need to worry about what to wear."

This should have set off warning bells but she was only half listening, still preoccupied with the wording of her first paragraph. "Sure Grandma, what's the occasion?"

"Your Grandfather and I thought it would be nice to introduce you to some of our friends who are Yale alumni and their children, several of them attend Yale with you now."

She was slightly taken aback by this but accepted the fact that she couldn't stop her grandmother's attempts to meddle in her social life, she figured in the end it was easier to just play along...it was only one night out of her life, how bad could it be? Besides she was actually thrilled to hear that her grandparents were at least speaking with out the aid of their go betweens.

"Sure, Grandma, that sounds really nice. I'll be there with bells on. See you, Friday."

Dropping her phone on the bed she quickly shut down her laptop, if she hurried she would have just enough time to run to the Daily News office to turn in a rough draft to Doyle before her afternoon class.

She reached the newsroom out of breath, a cup of coffee clutched in one had and her bag and coat precariously balanced in the other. She nearly ran smack into someone and raised her head to apologize still struggling to catch her coat before it fell. When she saw who it was that blocked the doorway she just huffed in exasperation. "You again...why is it that whenever I am in a hurry you seem to be the one in my way?"

Logan, now known in her internal dialogue as the bane of her existence, just quirked an eyebrow at her as he moved aside to let her pass. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to take the hint and followed her as she wound her way through the newsroom to her desk "You know Ace we really have to stop meeting this way or I am going to start thinking that you are stalking me....or "tracking" me as you so eloquently put it."

She dumped her load on the desk with a grunt and plopped into her chair flipping the screen in front of her on as she tried valiantly to ignore the irritating boy in front of her. After a few minutes of squirming under his mocking gaze she gave up and looked up at him.

"Alright...you have proven that you can out wait me, what do you want Huntzberger? Are you hounding me for a reason or are you just bored without your entourage of playmates? Please just tell me so we can get this over with and I can get back to work. I really haven't budgeted enough time this afternoon to amuse you." She gave him what she thought was an intimidating stare.

He leaned in slightly "Ace, I'm wounded, and here I thought we had formed a special bond." He stepped back and looked surreptitiously around the newsroom "But don't worry, I understand if you aren't ready for the rest of the staff to know how you really feel about me. That you can't resist my boyish charm. I wouldn't want them to be jealous anyway. So it will just be our little secret for now." With a little conspiratorial wink he stepped back whistling softly as he retreated to his own desk.

She was flabbergasted for a second, the nerve of him insinuating such a ridiculous notion. What had she done to deserve this torture? All she could hope was that he would get bored with tormenting her and move on to his next victim soon. She really did not have room in her already chaotic life for his nonsense or the crazy notions that seemed to come with it.

Suddenly the tune he was whistling clicked in her brain, it was the song from the Life and Death Brigade event. She rolled her eyes at him as he parked himself behind his desk and raised his feet to his desk. He sent one last supremely cocky grin her direction before laying his head back on the chair, apparently intending to catch a little cat nap. She waited until his eyes closed but couldn't quite stop the tiny hint of amused smile that quirked her lips.

The smile dropped from her lips when Doyle came charging towards her desk. "Gilmore, what are you doing?" he practically hissed "I would have sworn that you were just flirting with Huntzberger over there and let me tell you that would not make me happy."

Rory just sent the melodramatic editor a perplexed look "What are you talking about Doyle? I don't even like Logan and I was most definitely not flirting with him and why, if I may ask, is it any of your business anyway?"

Doyle leaned forward as he said in a half whisper "Come on Gilmore you aren't that dense, don't tell me that I have to explain how things work around here. All it takes is one screwed up relationship in a newsroom to seriously throw off the balance of power. I have no need for theatrics. I like my nice ordered newsroom. Plus, any time you spend here flirting with Huntzberger is time that Huntzberger spends here...in my newsroom, taking up space and making me have to waste valuable time sucking up to daddy's little troublemaker over there. You know I don't like wasting my time....do you understand where I am going with this Gilmore?"

Rory gave him an exasperated look "Doyle, I swear, I don't even like the guy and I am certainly not planning on having theatrics over him any time in this lifetime."

She grabbed the stack of papers that had just finished printing and thrust them into his hands as she rose from her desk. She gathered her things and gave Doyle a last comforting pat on the shoulder .

"Don't worry chief, I'm sure he has the attention span of a gnat, he will get bored soon and move onto wrecking some other piece of daddy's property, then you will have your little kingdom back just as you like it. Now here is a draft of my article, I know its still rough but let me know what I can do to make it better. Thanks Doyle."

She breezed out the door but not before Logan opened one eye and said in a mock injured tone "A gnat huh? I'll have to remember that one next time you ask me to be your star anonymous source. Happy writing Ace."


	3. Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Chapter 3: Matchmaker, Matchmaker

It was one night out of her life, how bad could it be?

Famous last words. A classic underestimation of Emily Gilmore's scheming mind. Perhaps she really needed to re-read her Sun Su.

Traffic was bad and she was a little surprised when she pulled up in front of the mansion and didn't see her mom's jeep. She was probably just running late, she usually was. She was just pulling her cell phone from her purse to call her when the door swung open. Okay, just grin and bear it, she thought, that is the only way to survive intact...don't let them sense your fear. Pasting a smile on her face she entered the room and handed off her coat to the attentive maid.

The room looked decked out for some sort of royal ball, candlelight glittered off polished silver and crystal. She felt a little out of place without her mother at her side to make some witty and some what inappropriate remark. They had a nice little Abbott and Costello rhythm developed to ward of the offensive maneuvers of Emily Gilmore. Unfortunately a straight man without the comedic half of the duo was just.... well, straight.

She seriously contemplated making a run for it, probably her mom's DNA rearing its head. Before she could so much as turn towards the door she saw her grandmother swooping towards her with a gleam in her eye and a bright smile on her face. She had seen that smile before and it sent shivers up her spine as she cast one last longing look at the door.

"Rory, I'm so glad you made it, you are right on time so I assume that the traffic wasn't too horrible." Even as the traditional words of greeting slipped from her lips she already had a death grip on Rory's arm and was leading her towards the stairs.

"I am so excited for tonight, this is the first real chance that your grandfather and I have had to show you off to all of our old friends from Yale. You are going to look just beautiful in the outfit I picked out for you, now lets get you upstairs so you can get ready."

"Is mom here yet grandma? I didn't see her car outside."

Emily gave her one of those infamous raised eyebrow looks that suggests that perhaps you should have been paying more attention when your grandmother was speaking to you.

"Your mother isn't coming tonight Rory, I'm sure I mentioned that to you on the phone. She and her diner man were having some sort of special dinner so I told her that she didn't need to cancel her plans for this. This is your night anyway. Most of the guests will be arriving soon so lets get you upstairs. This is going to be a wonderful evening."

Rory racked her brain for memory of the conversation, granted she hadn't been paying full attention to the nuances but she could not recall any mention of her mother having other plans. She had a niggling suspicion that Emily had conveniently left out the information that her mom was missing this little soiree.

Rory was beginning to think that something was definitely rotten in the state of Denmark. Since when did Emily ever let her mom out of Friday night dinner voluntarily unless they were in some sort of fight? Aside from the whole golfing debacle nothing new had happened or at least she hadn't heard about it. She was beginning to think that she should have asked a few more questions or mentioned the plans to her mom; it just hadn't occurred to her that she needed to do either of those things.

When she got a good look at the accessories that her grandmother had laid out for her on the vanity in the bedroom a big ball of dread settled in her stomach. There was a gorgeous glittering diamond necklace and earrings that she was sure cost as much as her college education and to top it all off there sat a diamond tiara. What was her grandmother up to?

She turned to decline the jewels, not feeling comfortable in some kind of royal princess get up but when she saw the look of determination in her grandmother's eyes she sighed in resignation. Damn her need to please her grandparent's anyway, what was her problem.

She slipped into the black evening gown; the sparkles set off by the diamonds and had to admire her grandmother's taste, even if she did feel sort of like a little girl playing dress up.

"Oh Rory, you look just perfect, a princess, just as a Gilmore lady should look." Emily gushed adjusting the tiara for the fourth time, Rory barely stifled an eye roll; all this primping would be the death of her. She would play along for now though until she had a better idea what Emily was up to.

"Thanks Grandma, the outfit is incredible. You didn't need to go to all this trouble for me though, why is this party so special?" she pried

"Oh you just wait and see, it's going to be great. Don't worry about a thing, this is your night, you are the belle of the ball and all you have to do is go out there and shine." Emily nearly clapped her hands in glee as she pulled Rory out the door.

This was not good.

Rory was astonished when she got to the top of the stairs and realized how many eyes were turned to her as she descended. She didn't particularly like being the center of attention amongst a group of strangers. She didn't have much time to worry about it though because her grandmother quickly motioned her towards a small group of people and started making introductions.

After the fourth introduction to a male Yale student who just happened to be exactly her age and came from a suitable family she was pretty sure that she had somehow fallen into a time warp. She was sure that she was really standing in some Pre-civil war ballroom waiting for a Rhett Butler to sweep her away from all the plots of marriages to suitable well bred members of the uppercrust of society. Good Lord, how antiquated were her grandparent's that they really thought that she was going to allow them to pick out a boyfriend or husband or whatever for her?

It was definitely time to call in the back up troops. She politely excused herself from the boy she was currently talking to, or in this case occasionally interjecting polite sounds of attentiveness at. Brett or Brandon...she couldn't quite remember his name but she thought it started with a B, a capital B for BORING.

Looking around quickly she saw that both of her grandparent's were engaged in conversation and she quickly slipped outside through an open door.

Once she had made it safely out to the patio she glanced around to make sure no one would over hear the conversation and then quickly grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone hitting the speed dial.

"Hello, Gilmore house of pain, your pain is our pleasure. Mistress Lorelai speaking"

She barely heard her mother's voice answer before she launched into her tirade. "Mom, why didn't you tell me that you weren't coming to Friday night dinner? I am here now and I think I misread the invitation because I am pretty sure that I have fallen into some kind of time warp. Apparently this is the "auction Rory off to the most eligible bachelor party". I am totally freaked out. Why aren't you here? I need you mom."

"Rory...Rory, slow down, what is going on? I thought your grandmother told you that I wasn't coming this week. And what is this about a party? Darn, I should have known that she agreed too easily, I should have been more suspicious when she didn't make me grovel." Lorelai stopped her tirade mid breath. "I should always know not to trust my mother when she is too accommodating, it is usually a sign that she is up to her evil machinations. Are you sure that you are correct about the matchmaking thing though...that seems a little desperate even for Emily Gilmore."

Rory was a little frantic by now, "Mom, she made me wear a diamond tiara and so far I have been introduced to at least 6 Yale students, all males and all conveniently my age...there is not a single woman here under the age of 40. It was totally a set up. How could she do this to me? I think she knows I am seeing Dean too because she keeps making little comments about how so and so is a "suitable" catch. Maybe that is what this is all about, they have given up on controlling your love life and now they have moved on to mine.... Oh my god, now I know why you hated this so much all those years. "

"Okay, Okay, don't panic.... Lorelai Gilmore is coming to the rescue and then we will put a stop to this insanity. Now go inside and play the dutiful granddaughter until I get there so she doesn't get suspicious."

"Okay mom, I think I can play the part for a while, but if they start calling for the highest bidders I think I might just make a run for it... I'm beginning to see why you were always concocting those elaborate escape plans. Do you think that if I had a seizure they would have to take me to the hospital?" She giggled a little at this, feeling the anxiety lessen slightly.

"Hey, kid, just hang in there and a word of advice from an old pro, never make the mistake of playing the seizure card too soon, its the ace up your sleeve.... right up there with unwed pregnancy, but I seriously suggest you don't go there. Hang in there, I promise I will break speeding records on my way there.... hey, I guess if I get arrested that would give you an excuse to get out of the party as well."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks mom, I needed the laugh as well as the rescue. See you soon."

Flipping the phone shut she took a deep breath and sat down for a moment on the chair on the deserted patio. She would go back inside, she just needed a moment to prepare herself.

The low cough behind her made her jump, she had been sure that she was alone on the patio. She turned quickly to confront her visitor, ready with an explanation on the tip of her tongue. The words froze there as her eyes locked on an all too familiar face.

"Logan?"


	4. Dance with the Devil in the Pale Moonlig...

Chapter 4: Dance with the Devil in the Pale Moonlight

Logan was disorientated to learn that Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, the society debutante that this silly game was being played for was none other than his new favorite "Ace" reporter and most recent sparring partner. Rory didn't come across as a society type, or the husband shopping type for that matter and he was usually pretty good at picking up on those kind of vibes.

When his parents informed him he was required to attend another one of these antiquated blue blood rituals he hadn't even thought to ask who the girl was. He had his routine down to a perfectly choreographed dance of evasion by now; make a brief appearance, bestow a little charm on the parents or grandparents and then make a sneaky exit, off to better and more amusing pursuits.

When his parent's mentioned Emily and Richard Gilmore he had a moment of de ja vu...he knew he had heard that name before. It clicked in his brain the second he saw Rory at the top of the stairs. He had been to enough of these little matchmaking functions that masqueraded as dinner parties to be a bit jaded about the whole thing but even he found himself struggling to ignore the catch of breath when his eyes landed on Rory in her finest party dress.

He would be the first to admit that she was beautiful with that classic angelic face and those brilliant blue eyes and he had to concede that her figure had curves in all the right places but she wasn't really his type...too innocent, too naive, too by the book...never one to rock the boat, which was pretty much his specialty.

So far she had managed to surprise him a few times though, which was a rare experience for him. He found her refreshing, witty, more down to earth and real than most the vapid socialites that usually traveled in his circle and were generally more interested in his daddy's credit card than any deeper relationship with him.

To be honest, that arrangement usually suited his purposes well, it was simple, fun, free of attachments and everyone walked away happy, there was rarely any angst when he parted ways with his most recent arm charm and that was ideal in his book. He was pretty much a commitment-phobe and rarely ever went on a date with any girl more than once or twice. Frankly he rarely found one that was interesting enough to warrant the effort.

Rory was different. She had a spark to her that had caught his attention.

Leaning up against the portcullis now he watched her for a moment, curious to see her in this different setting. She seemed to have more facets then he had originally anticipated and that piqued his curiosity. At first she appeared the naive, innocent, girl next door type when he had tried to disarm her with his charming smile outside her room at Branford, he might even have called her timid until she opened her mouth, he was pleasantly startled when she had turned into a tiger, and despite first impressions she held her own. Okay, maybe not every book could be judged by its cover.

Their next meeting was equally enlightening with her now playing the part of the ambitious, hungry reporter who stalked him and challenged him all in pursuit of the story. He had enjoyed that encounter, unable to withstand the temptation of teasing her again just to see those blue eyes kindle with the light of battle. She was a chameleon and it had piqued his interest enough that he had offered to help her with her story. He had pushed her limits, curious to see just how far she would journey out of her comfortable little world and she had stepped up to the challenge.

Then she had thrown the challenge right back in his face, systematically disproving his original assumptions about her. When she exited the tent, regal, striking in the blue that brought out her eyes he couldn't deny he had felt a little tug of attraction. He hadn't really expected her to fit into his world quite so easily. Most of all he had been taken aback when she had actually agreed to jump with him. He had provoked her but hadn't really expected her to give in, she seemed so careful, like she planned every move and never made a decision without a great deal of analysis.

He couldn't define the impulse that had him grabbing her hand on top of that platform and that made him uncomfortable. Usually girls were easy but he still felt a funny sinking in his gut when he thought about that moment when they had hit the ground. He had assured himself a hundred times already that it was just the mix of adrenaline and elation from the jump but he couldn't shake the feeling that they had connected just for one instant as she had clasped his hands to her heart and looked into his face, her hair mussed, cheeks flushed with excitement and he had found himself for just that millisecond trapped in the sparkling depths of her sapphire eyes.

Snapping out of his reverie he decided he needed a little air. Skirting the edge of the room he saw an open door out to what he assumed was a patio and with a surreptitious glance to confirm that no one would notice his absence he slipped out the opening into the night air. There was a pale autumn moon in the clear night sky and he leaned back into the shadow enjoying the moment of silence.

When he heard someone else step out onto the patio he moved back into the shadow of a stone pillar, hoping not to be discovered. His eyebrows shot up when he saw that it was Rory, illuminated in a puddle of light spilling out of the door he watched her look around guiltily, obviously making sure she was alone.

This night had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

She didn't seem to notice him in the dark corner so he held his tongue and decided to observe and see what played out. Clearly she had escaped the party for a reason and he found himself curious, you never knew what information might come in handy later.

He didn't have to wait long. She quickly pulled out a cell phone and pressed a button. He watched her nervously tap a finger against her leg as she waited for someone to answer, occasionally she shot worried glances over her shoulder at the room swirling with people.

He almost laughed when she began to babble in a half hysterical tone to the person on the other end of the phone, obviously her mother if he had heard correctly. The plot thickens...he thought. Clearly there was more going on with this story than what he had assumed was a family sponsored coming out party...there was subterfuge, scheming and manipulation. He figured this entertainment was much better than expected and leaned forward to catch the rest of the one sided conversation.

Wait...she had a boyfriend? Now this was a new twist that he hadn't quite expected. He tried to ignore a tiny twinge of what he could only call jealousy, this was not a feeling that belonged in his world, so he convinced himself that this development made him happy, it meant their little game was fun without any risk of romantic entanglement since he was sure that Rory was not the type of girl that would cheat on her boyfriend.

When she was finished she peeked back into the crowded room and he thought she was about to step back through the doors but she turned suddenly and heaved a great sigh as she collapsed onto a chair and put her head down on her hands.

There was a protracted pause as he considered his next move. Abruptly inspiration hit, he found this game more intriguing by the second and he knew just how to win the next round...in fact if his plan worked they would both be winners. She was shrewd though so he would have to be very careful in his approach.

He stepped forward and coughed slightly to alert her to his presence. She jumped, her head snapping up at the intrusion and suddenly those cerulean eyes were leveled on him.

"Logan?"

Her voice implied that she thought perhaps she was having a hallucination and if her tone was any indication she did not consider it a good one.

"Well, hello Ace" he said in a cocky tone that he knew irritated her to no end, and as expected he could see the fire of anger begin to kindle in her eyes, it was really quite enjoyable to watch...as he had noted before angry worked for her.

"You know maybe you should just give in and admit that we are meant to be together since it seems to be fate that we keep ending up in the same place at the same time....unless you planned this little shindig just to see me again." He cast a sly look at her face and almost laughed out loud at the expression of horror that graced her pretty features "Really, Ace if you wanted a date all you had to do was ask...I'm sure I could work you into my social calendar somewhere. There was no need to drag all these other poor boys here to be lined up for the cattle call when we already know who your first choice is."

She flushed crimson, her eyes snapping now with barely contained fire...she was really quite stunning in that moment he admitted to himself, he had always like fire breathing dragons, after all what fun was there in life if you didn't risk getting burned?

"What's wrong Ace, you look a little piqued ...was it something I said?"

She clearly did not like that and he watched in fascination as her eyes darkened to a hard, brilliant midnight blue. He didn't know why he took such wicked pleasure in riling her but he had no doubt that he had found a worthy adversary; she could be an amusing diversion for quite some time.

The sheer arrogance of his tone was the last straw, she rose out of her chair ready to rip him to shreds "Look, Little Lord Fauntleroy, the last person I need giving me advice is an arrogant, self righteous, entitled miscreant who thinks he has the answer to all of life's hard questions. I bet that you have never done anything on your own without the safety net of daddy's money and power. Its easy for you to stand in your little insulated bubble and ridicule us plebians when you never even have to clean up your own messes or learn the consequences for your mistakes. You are a shallow, spoiled little boy who thinks the world is his playground. You don't know the first thing about me or my life and I prefer to keep it that way."

She could feel her head of steam starting to dissipate but she pressed onward "Frankly Huntzberger even if I didn't have a boyfriend, which I do, the only thing I would consider you suitable for is good shooting target or perhaps a ritual sacrifice."

He was silent throughout the tirade, the claws were definitely out now and he couldn't deny that a few of her jabs hit a little too close to home but he had long ago learned how to hide his weaknesses.

When she paused to take a breath he broke in to deflect her venom "About that boyfriend...where is he anyway? From what I can see they are setting you up with their idea of the ideal future doctor or banker husband out there, it seems to me like the kind of party I would want to be at if I was your boyfriend."

"I don't think that is any of your business. Now what are you really doing here Logan?" her tone was annoyed now "I am having a bad enough night as it is, the last thing I need is some witty court jester around to mock me."

"You know I prefer Master and Commander...seems more fitting."

When he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears he quickly grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it in a sign for truce. "Okay, okay, I come in peace. Before your little impersonation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where you threatened to go all medieval on me I was going to suggest a solution to your little quandary.

"What solution"" she gave him a suspicious look "and exactly what do you know about my quandary?"

He gave her his best sheepish look "Well, it just so happens that when you came outside I was out here enjoying a bit of fresh air. You seemed a bit distressed and so being the respectful gentleman that I am I followed the chivalrous code of conduct and decided not to interrupt what seemed like a personal conversation." His eyes were a study in innocence.

At the gentleman comment she snorted out loud "I'm thinking that you take way too much liberty with the term gentleman. Perhaps cad would be a better fit. I assume that your copy of the rules of gentlemanly conduct left out the part about eavesdropping being poor manners. Or perhaps you were mistaken and were actually looking at the rule book for unrepentant scoundrels and scalawags." She felt for the moment that she was back on steady ground, this whole shifting landscape of loyalty and responsibility and social strategy she just couldn't fathom but she knew how to play this bloodless game of wits.

Obviously her defense mechanism was a vituperous tongue and he knew he could hold his own in that department. He was enjoying the repartee almost too much to detour back to the original subject at hand but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for Rory. Reluctantly he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey Ace, I am not out to get you here...as a fellow sufferer in the "uphold the family name" battle I am simply proposing a truce....and a mutually beneficial partnership. If we are picking sides in this fight I promise, I'm on yours."

Rory wasn't sure quite what to make of this unexpected gesture, although she couldn't really be sure it was a gesture at all since she had yet to hear the conditions. She had strong feeling that when dealing with Logan it was imperative to ALWAYS read the fine print. She cocked her head to one side and considered him for a moment, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners suggested humor but he seemed to be serious or at least sincere. "Okay, I'm listening."

His smile brightened a notch, he had her on the hook, now all he had to do was reel her in. "To summarize from the conversation I accidentally overheard: your grandparents are focused on finding you a "suitable" mate, they don't approve of your current male friend and have endeavored, by some trickery to get you to this party, without any sympathetic back up , I assume your mother would normally play that role, and now are parading you around as the next great catch among the Hartford elite. I also concluded from my little eavesdropping interlude that this is not a situation that you are comfortable with or want to encourage. Am I right so far?"

She was a little surprised at his accurate assessment of the situation but nodded her head slightly in agreement. "I think you've got the basics."

He continued, seeing that he now had her undivided attention. "I can commiserate with you since, unfortunately, I often face the same quandary, thus the need for my masterful plan.

She considered for a moment "Okay, you have convinced me there is good reason to consider a solution, but what exactly is your plan?" she pointed a finger at him "I want specifics, none of this you can't know the conditions until you agree to the conditions crap. This is my neck on the line here and I want to know exactly what I would be agreeing to."

"Tsk, Tsk Ace, one would think that you don't trust me."

When she just made a disgusted face at him he continued "Fair enough I probably deserve that. It seems to me after careful analysis of the situation that the problem lies in the fact that neither of us is in a relationship that is viewed as an acceptable match in the eyes of the parents or in your case grandparents. What I am suggesting is that we tell them that we are dating, that we have been dating for some time. I will go back into the party tonight with you and play the dutiful boyfriend. It will get the parents off our back and we can both go about our lives without their constant nagging. Its a fool proof plan if I do says so myself."

She just looked at him for a moment, weighing the ramifications of his plan. Really, how painful could it be? It would get her off the hot seat for tonight and she was sure that spending the rest of the evening talking to Logan would be far more enjoyable than having to consider suicide if she had to talk to one more future banker, doctor or lawyer. Logan might be irritating but she would never claim that he was boring. She would just explain the situation to her mom, surely Lorelai would appreciate the humor of beating Emily at her own game.

Logan watched the internal battle play over her transparent features before she spoke. "What's the catch? Hypothetically, lets say that I agree to go along with this plan, what's in it for you?"

His answer was quick, "Simple really, tit for tat, if I find myself in a similar situation where I need a faux girlfriend to appease the family you will get the privilege of being my date for the occasion."

She didn't appear to be amused by this comment so he hurriedly continued in a more serious voice "No restrictions on type of event but I promise 48 hours notice and a new dress for the occasion if necessary. No physical contact, unless it is consensual of course " at her narrowed eyes he coughed "as I was saying, no physical contact other than that which is absolutely necessary to uphold the ruse. Its a pretty fair trade if you ask me."

She could do this she thought. She would just make sure that none of it ever got back to Dean and then she could continue the great relationship with him without the constant scrutiny of her grandparents. That thought stopped her, was she really considering hiding her relationship with Dean, going behind his back again...she didn't think she could do it, she definitely didn't think she SHOULD do it. It was a decent plan all but for that niggling little voice of doubt in the back of her mind. It would have been easy to agree to if she could just gag that stupid conscience of hers.

She took in a deep contemplative breath and then looked him square in the eye. "I don't think so Logan, its too complicated, too many people could get hurt if it all blows up in our faces. I can put up with a few more hours of this and then this whole night will be nothing but a memory. How bad can a few future bankers be?" Shaking her head she rose from her chair. "Thanks for the offer though, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was sincere."

He shrugged to show his nonchalance "If its the boyfriend you are worried about you needn't fret because I can be discrete, it would just be a little bargain between friends but its your call Ace."

He saw the decision in her eyes "Hey, no problem, I understand if you don't want to go through with it, you are probably right, it is too risky, better to swallow the bitter pill of pride than disappoint your family. "

She didn't respond to the subtle jibe, those sort of comments were just the sort of things that seemed to get her in trouble around Logan.

As she turned to leave Logan stopped her "I'll be here for another hour, the offer is still on the table and if you decide to take me up on it, I'll be happy to be your knight in shining armor."

His cocky smirk convinced her that she was making the right choice. "I'm sure I won't change my mind, but I will keep that in mind"

He chuckled softly as she headed for the door....letting out a soft breath when she was gone. God, she smelled good, like fresh flowers and cherry lip gloss. Somehow he knew this was only the beginning of this little saga. He put his head in his hands for a moment and wondered idly if was getting in over his head this time?


	5. Where is the Cavalry When You Need Them

Chapter 5: Where is the Cavalry When You Need Them

Better titled - The Lesser of Two Evils

Rory snuck back into the crowded parlor and scanned the assembled faces disappointed to see that her mother still wasn't anywhere to be seen. She was just making a hurried getaway to the bathroom, figuring she could waste at least 10 minutes there before her grandmother hunted her down; sadly she never made it as her grandfather headed her off at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, Rory, there you are, your grandmother has been frantically looking for you. Where have you been?"

She stuttered a bit "Oh, uh, I just needed a little fresh air so I stepped out on the patio for a few minutes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you and grandma." He seemed appeased by this explanation and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, there is someone I am just dying for you to meet, an old friend of mine, we used to be in the Wiffenpoofs together in our Yale days, his son is Adam is just about your age. An economics major I believe, delightful boy. I can't wait for you to meet them." Drat, she thought, there was going to be no escape after all.

Fifteen minutes later Logan's proposition was starting to look better and better. She shook her head and tuned back into the conversation with the boy on the settee next to her. She would not give in to the temptation, she could survive this, she surely didn't need his help, something she was sure she would pay dearly for. She stifled a yawn as she listened to Adam drone on about economic theory. Now she definitely knew the meaning of mind numbing dullness. He had lost her at hello.

She surreptitiously checked her watch for the tenth time, only a minute after the last time she had checked. What was taking her mom so long? She nodded and made interested sounds periodically and only hoped they were appropriate.

She hardly noticed when the first potential suitor was replaced by another. Automatically her eyes found Logan across the room observing the tableau with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was not going to win, she swore to herself. She snapped her attention back to the boy in front of her, forcing herself to tune in on what he was saying.

She had no idea what his name was but who cared really. It was only after she had listened for a moment or two that the meaning of his words really sunk in and the horror made her suck in a breath. He was naming their children. A boy no more than a year older than her and he was planning their future together after 15 minutes of acquaintance. He was going to be a lawyer in his father's firm, they would live in Hartford...of course and he figured they would have a boy and a girl, ideally two years apart in age.

She was speechless for a full second and she was certain her eyes were as big as saucers. Had she fallen into some parallel universe or stumbled into the twilight zone, who were these weird Stepford clone husbands to be? It was sort of like the X-Files meets Yenta.

Her mind frantically spun over the options, she could run, but she was sure her grandmother would just track her down and drag her back for round two, she could confront her grandmother but those situations never went well, and in the end she never won those arguments especially without Lorelai as her champion. Her mother seemed to be stuck in some sort of time trap and at this rate by the time she arrived she might be married off and pregnant or she and whats his name would be picking out side by side gravesites. What option did that leave her?

She turned with dread in her stomach and locked eyes with Logan's knowing gaze. The clones words penetrated her clouded brain again; he wanted to name his son Hunter? That was it; anything short of death was preferable to another second of this excruciating conversation. The decision was made

Cutting off her companion with an exclamation of false surprise as if she had just now seen him, her voice carried across the room. "Logan, there you are, I've been waiting for you to get here." She gestured excitedly for him to join her on the settee.

He cocked one eyebrow and pretended to look around as if confirming that she spoke to him. Then he ambled over to where they sat. He was certainly taking his time she seethed inwardly but she pasted a sugary sweet smile on her face as he reached them.

"Logan, I am so glad that you finally made it, I've missed you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the settee turning towards her companion and faking a small giggle, "my boyfriend" she gestured to Logan with an affectionate eye roll "he's always late."

Logan played along "You don't mind if I steal my girlfriend for a minute or two do you..." he held out his hand "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"S-Stanley" the astonished young man stuttered "Sure, I think I see a friend of mine over by the bar that I've been meaning to talk to, I'll just leave the two of you alone. Nice to meet you Rory and sorry about all that stuff I said earlier, I didn't know you had a boyfriend." And he was gone scuttling off towards the bar.

Rory breathed a loud sigh of relief "Thank God he is gone. I owe you Logan, I don't think I would have survived another minute with that frightening robot of a boy"

Logan quirked an eyebrow at her "I take it that you found someone even more odious than me to spend time with, given that reaction I'm not sure I even want to know what he said to push you over the edge. Lucky for you, I was still here, you were almost out of time but I was glad to be of service milady. You held out longer than I expected actually, I would have bet 20 minutes. Speaking of owing me though, I have to inform you that since I spent my precious time waiting for you to come to your senses the price for my cooperation has gone up."

Rory gasped and pulled her hand away abruptly narrowing her eyes at him "I knew it, you are a sadist, you just love watching me suffer. I did not agree to any additional conditions."

"Well that is true technically" he turned his attention to the room casually observing the milling boys "I'd be happy to leave you alone if that is what you would prefer...." he trailed off as she gasped.

"You wouldn't! What about all that nonsense about being a gentleman? I think you are bluffing, I am not playing your little mind game, if you walk away now I owe you nothing!" she crossed her arms to show she was resolute.

"Your choice Ace, I have nothing to lose either way." He said without blinking an eye. He put a hand on the arm of the settee to push himself up but was quickly pulled back down.

"Fine" she hissed, "You win. Tell me your outrageous conditions?"

He leaned back with a Cheshire cat grin "See Ace, I knew you were smart and you would come around to my way of thinking."

"Stop gloating and get on with it Huntzberger, I do not find this amusing."

"Oh but I do." He laughed, a deep rumbling sound "Okay, here is my offer, along with the aforementioned stipulations involving family gatherings you will also agree to go on one outing with me, no questions asked. I get to pick the time and the place and the activity and you will follow all my instructions."

Rory rolled her eyes "That seems awfully vague to me. I could be promising to have sex with you for all I know, and I certainly wouldn't put it past you.... and leaving it an open ended time frame seems pretty ridiculous given that you claim it is a reciprocation for making you wait..." she looked pointedly at her watch "for 45 minutes."

He waved a hand in surrender "Okay, okay, are you sure you don't want to be litigator when you grow up? You do make some valid points, I will concede the time argument...said event must occur within the next 45 days, to match the time you made me wait and I promise, cross my heart that it won't involve anything of a sexual nature...I'll let you make the first move on that score." He winked at her suggestively.

"In your dreams Huntzberger." She shot back but then considered his offer; she didn't see too many other ways out of the current stalemate since in this predicament he was holding all cards. Finally she sighed and stuck out her hand "Okay, I can't quite shake the feeling that I'm signing away my soul to the devil but it's a deal."

He laughed at this "No worries Ace, you really aren't my type, which is exactly why the 'rents will love you. Just stick to the story and it'll be fine, we don't seem to have any problem finding things to talk about so this may even keep both of us from dying of sheer boredom at these society gatherings."

When their palms met the air crackled between them, they locked eyes and both of them considered the wisdom of their ad hoc agreement for a silent minute.


	6. Rhett is My Gentleman Friend

Chapter 6: Rhett is My Gentleman Friend

Logan sat alone on the patio pondering the strange situation he found himself in. He wasn't quite sure what whim had made him offer this particular plan nor could he fully explain the sense of disappointment when she had turned him down.

It wasn't as if he ever needed to bribe or bargain with a girl to get a date. He had more than enough girls that were ready to fall at his feet when they saw his charming smile and his big trust fund. He had his pick of women, young, old, beautiful and fun and daring but lately he found himself bored with their similarities.

Rory was unique, she was an enigma. Maybe it was the fact that she seemed unimpressed with his status, seemed in fact to have taken an instant dislike to him that was so intriguing and made him want to rile her up but he figured it couldn't hurt to have a little fun with her as long as it continued to be so entertaining.

He had always like puzzles and he had always been a sink or swim kind of person. Why bother doing anything if you weren't going to jump in with both feet and experience life. If you sank, well then there was always the next game to be won but if you succeeded usually you got something that was worth winning. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore was a riddle just waiting to be solved and there was nothing that he disliked more than an unsolved puzzle.

He watched her from afar, the play of emotion over her face was entertainment all by itself. He snickered to himself when he caught her stifling a yawn and quickly lost count of the number of times that she furtively checked the watch at her wrist.

This was a waiting game now and he was almost certain he was going to be the victor. He had to admire her fortitude though, she had lasted twice as long as he would have predicted. She caught his eye across the room and he saw the stubborn lift of her chin, the resolute set of her jaw.... it was going to be a battle to the death.

Then, something tipped the balance in his favor. He could only imagine what shocking topic of conversation her current companion embarked upon that had her eyes widening like a deer caught in oncoming headlights but suddenly she was frantically gesturing to him and calling his name in a syrupy sweet voice. That was his cue.... chivalrous gentleman to the rescue. He took his time, milking the sweet moment of victory for as long as he could.

He hardly noticed the other boy leave and quickly fell into his seat enjoying the frustration in Rory's face. After the hammered out the terms of their pact they grasped hands and he was surprised at the small shock he felt from the touch.

The moment was broken when her attention was drawn to something behind his shoulder and the slight smile that quirked her lips made him twist to see what had caught her interest.

Coming towards them with a gleeful look in her eye was an older version of Rory, with black curly hair, blue eyes and an exuberant energy that radiated from her as she advanced across the room, there was no doubt that they were related. He was ready to turn on the charm but she beat him to the punch giving him a long appraising look before she turned to Rory. There was something in the knowing sparkle in her eyes that told him that somehow she saw through his carefully constructed facade, there was recognition in that startling blue gaze that unnerved him slightly.

Rory jumped in "What took you so long, I had almost given up hope. What did you do walk here?"

Lorelai just rolled her eyes and said "It is a long story, I mean I am talking Iliad long so lets stick to the condensed version. The giant hot dog formerly known as Kirk fell and broke a lantern that was going to be used in the town festival of lighting and I drove over the glass and got a flat tire which is currently being fixed by Gypsy who as you know only works until 4 pm on Fridays. So, since my usual buggy is in the shop I was stuck driving Coffee boy's green machine which apparently defies all laws of gas consumption and is incapable of traveling over 3o miles an hour...its sort of like the story of Cinderella only with a really incompetent fairy godmother."

Logan was watching the rapid-fire exchange of words with a bemused expression not quite certain that they were actually speaking English when Lorelai turned to him.

"Enough about me though, on to more important topics." She stuck out her hand "I'm Lorelai, I've been hearing lots of stories about exactly who you are." She leaned forward and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper "News travels fast in this crowd. I'm going to assume for the good of us all that the one about Rory bearing your love child is grossly overstated at the least."

Rory snickered at his expression before turning to her mother "Rhett is my gentleman friend" she said in a fakes southern accent "Ah, perfect use of an appropriate quote...and so fitting an occasion." Rory and Lorelai were struggling to stifle the laughter. Rory finally calmed down enough to continue the introductions

"Alright enough fun, this is Logan, Logan Huntzberger, his father is a wealthy newspaper magnate and he is" she made air quotes "a reporter, with me on the paper at Yale. I told you about him, he was the one who took me to the secret outing with the Life and Death Brigade"

Apparently Rory and whoever this mystery relative was had no secrets. That was strange enough a concept in his world but he was even more off balance when he saw the gleam of humor in the woman's eyes, it was not the usual covetous look he got form society women when they found out who his father was. Instead it looked disconcertingly like the mischievous joy of woman who was concocting an evil masterplot.

"Ah" the older woman said with a knowing voice "The master and commander, I presume. Not a bad nickname by the way, I would give it a 7 on the scale, of course its too early to tell whether it is just empty boasting or truth" she turned her head and assessed him for a moment "I can see a little Russell Crowe in you but I wouldn't get too ahead of myself if I were you."

Forging ahead he gallantly gripped Lorelai's proffered hand and kissed the back of it..."I'm Logan, it is nice to meet you Lorelai, you must be Rory's ?" he expected her to be flattered a bit by this classic sucking up line but instead it only seemed to amuse her further and he saw a wicked flicker of laughter in her animated face.

"Ah, dear boy, good try but the way to my good graces is not paved with empty flattery, if you survive long enough maybe someday I will tell you the secret key to our hearts."

"If you are anything like Rory I am guessing it is coffee, she has an unhealthy addiction to the stuff." Lorelai raised her eyebrows in a tacit acknowledgement at his clever deduction.

"Not bad for a first timer, I would watch the disparaging remarks about coffee though Mini Crowe since I am the one who proudly taught her all she knows about maximizing ones caffeine consumption. I am Rory's mother by the way, the second Lorelai, and you, I assume, are the evil influence that led my pure and innocent daughter to jump off a tower with nothing but an umbrella. I won't even ask if there was any running around in circles in your underwear...some things a mother just wasn't meant to know. "

She gave a mock shudder as she glanced at Rory and gave her a teasing wink, "At any rate, that is a discussion for a different day, I'll cut you a little slack this time since apparently you have managed to take the heat off of my daughter and make yourself the brunt of my mother's formidable irritation. I can only hope that since according to the town criers you have been "dating" for some time you have concocted some sort of reasonable explanation for the lack of previous knowledge of this relationship and by reasonable I mean one that appeals to the convoluted mind of one Emily Gilmore. I wish you luck. Greater men than you have gone that way and perished. Speak of the devil, here is my dear mother now."

Rory leaned in quickly as her mother turned to greet Emily and whispered in his ear "One last condition Huntzberger and this one is a deal breaker.... the name is Rory, not Ace."

"Well here you are, I have been looking for you everywhere. There are a lot of people waiting to meet you, it just isn't proper for the guest of honor to disappear in the middle of the party and then I hear some outlandish rumor about you dating some boy I have never even met" Emily began her scolding the minute she was within hearing range but turned her attention to her daughter the minute she caught sight of Lorelai standing to one side of Rory.

"Well, Lorelai, this is a surprise, I thought that you were unable to make it tonight due to your previous arrangements with your diner man." This was said in a snide condescending tone that would have cut most people off at the knees but Lorelai just rolled her eyes.

She matched the snide tone when she replied "Well, mom, if you must know I was having a lovely dinner with Luke, that is his name you know, despite your seeming incapability to remember it, really it is just one syllable shouldn't be too hard to keep in that organized head of yours. In any case, I was having a delightful dinner with my boyfriend when I get a call from my daughter informing me that there was a party going on and not just any party might I add but a party that is apparently designed to marry my daughter off to the first eligible bachelor that will take her. Imagine my surprise when I hear of this gala event and have to admit to my total ignorance of the said party. Perhaps my invitation was lost in the mail?"

"Really Lorelai you jump to such ridiculous assumptions and exaggerations. This is simply a get together of some of Richard and my close friends who are Yale alumni, we just thought it would be nice to introduce Rory to them and to some of their children who happen to attend Yale with her. The only reason I didn't mention it to you was because I knew you already had plans and I assumed that Rory would tell you about it after we had spoken."she dismissed the line of conversation despite Lorelai's skeptical look, knowing there was no battle to be won there.

"Now Rory..." Emily stopped short when she saw the tall blonde young man standing behind Rory "I'm sorry I don't believe that we have met. Rory, perhaps you could introduce me to your friend."

"Oh, of course, grandma, this is Logan, Logan Huntzberger, he and I are on the Yale Daily News together. Logan, this is my grandmother Emily Gilmore."

" Huntzberger did you say, would you by any chance be related to Mitchum Huntzberger?" he could see the calculation in Emily Gilmore's eyes, this he was accustomed to.

"Why yes Mrs. Gilmore he is my father."

She was clearly thrilled by this revelation "How wonderful, Richard and I have met your father several times over the years, a charming man, it is so good to know that Rory is making such distinguished friends at Yale" she clearly approved of him and he could tell that this was only going to further tarnish his image in Rory's eyes, little did Emily Gilmore know that behind the well respected name Logan was the troublemaker in the family, threatened with exile more than once.

He figured he might as well milk this for all that it was worth since who knew when he would get another chance. He wrapped a casual arm around Rory's waist and though she tensed initially he could feel her relax incrementally, lowering his voice he leaned towards Emily as if imparting something in confidence.

"Actually Mrs. Gilmore, Rory and I have been dating for a little while now, we were kind of keeping it quiet but since I would hardly want to tarnish your granddaughters good name or get her in trouble for spending too much time with me during your lovely party I guess this is probably the appropriate time to let the cat out of the bag."

Rory almost laughed at the guileless, doting expression that Logan seemed to have perfected.

Emily looked skeptical and turned her scrutinizing gaze on Rory. "Is this true Rory? Why were you hiding this from me...it seems you have learned one too many lessons from your mother."

She sent a steely glare in Lorelai's direction. "I suppose you knew about this as well, as usual I am the only one to be made a fool of."

Rory felt a moment of panic, could she lie to her grandmother? Then she saw Logan catch her eye and give her a conspiratorial wink over Emily's shoulder, she forced herself to relax and faced her grandmother's inquisitive gaze. It was sink or swim time.

"Its true grandma. We have only gone out a few times though and we just hadn't really told anyone yet." Well that was at least mostly true.

Lorelai interjected in a consoling voice "This is the first time I have heard about it as well, although I did hear a rather interesting story about umbrellas that I am thinking might have involved our young man in question."

Rory gave her a pleading look and she sobered "But this is the first time I have heard about the dating. I swear on the waterford crystal." She held up a hand as if swearing on the bible and Logan had to swallow a chuckle....her mom was definitely a kick.

Emily eyed the three of them for a moment as if testing their story for holes. Then she relented. "Well Rory, I hope in the future that you will feel as if you can tell me about these kinds of things in your life."

Rory could only think "Yeah, Right."

Emily continued as if she had not seen the look that passed between Lorelai and Rory.

"I am thrilled to hear about this, you seem like a very fine young gentleman Logan. Can I steal you for a moment Logan, I am just dying to introduce Rory's new friend to Richard, he will be thrilled to meet you."

As she was dragging him away by the arm he sent a rather barbed glance back at Rory and her mother and the wicked twinkle in both their eyes confirmed his suspicion, they had set him up. "You owe me" he mouthed to Rory but she just sent him a little finger wave and an ingenuous smile.


	7. The Great Escape

Chapter 7: The Great Escape

They stood side by side as they watched Logan disappear into the crowd with Emily. Rory could feel her mother's curious gaze.

"Okay my scheming little protégé, you know I admire a good game of make believe but now you must fill in a few of the more pertinent details. Who is the hunky blonde bad boy and does he have a motorcycle...oooooh I bet he has a motorcycle, not that you, my responsible daughter will ever be seen on said motorcycle. More importantly why is he here and how, in the space of one hour did you go from hysterics on the phone with me to introducing Crowe junior over there as you boyfriend? That must have been the fastest courtship in history. Don't tell me, it was lust at first sight."

Rory cut off Lorelai's ramble mid sentence when she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"He is just a friend...more of an acquaintance really, he works at the paper with me. Although 'works' may be a misnomer for what he does, perhaps it would be more apt to say that he naps at the paper." She mused half to herself. "I told you all about the Life and death Brigade outing, so you pretty much know as much about him as I do. I have no idea if he has a motorcycle and I have no intention of finding out that or any other personal information about him other than what other grandiose stunts he has done with his little band of merry men. I don't actually know why he is here, other than to torment me, but I assume it has something to do with his father's connections. I am appalled that as my mother you would be suggesting what I know you are suggesting with that silly eyebrow wiggle. You know I am with Dean and even if I wasn't I would hardly be interested in a wealthy rabble-rouser like Logan. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time or maybe the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know... Regardless, he offered me a solution that seemed quite reasonable and because my erstwhile champion was apparently stuck in the pumpkin coach somewhere on route 40 I was desperate, so I agreed."

This information was imparted in one long stream, no breaths taken which caused Lorelai to raise her eyebrows even higher. Rory usually babbled when she was nervous or you hit a particularly sensitive nerve. Now she was certain that there had been something behind the sparks she had seen from practically across the room when the two of them had been sitting on the settee.

She made a T with her hands. "Time out umbrella girl. Though it pains me to say it, I fear that you have imbibed a little too much of the magic elixir today. Pretty soon I'm going to have to scrape you off the ceiling and I think that would be unwise given my mother's penchant for ranting about any little smudge on anything. Now, slowly and in clear sentences tell me what exactly this scheme entails... just tell me that mommy wasn't too late and that you haven't sold your soul to the devil."

Rory took a deep breath and realized that her mom was right, she had been getting a little carried away. She wrote it off to the stress of the situation and the discomfort at running into Logan here of all places when she was already mortified at her grandparent's manipulative plan to marry her off to the first suitable bachelor.

She sighed "You're right mom, lets not play 20 questions here though. When we get out of here I will tell you everything."

Lorelai put her arm around Rory in camaraderie and whispered "I know just the place for confessions. Your grandmother appears to be preoccupied with your new "friend" I say we make a run for it, if we're lucky she won't miss us until we have a head start. I'll treat you to a cup of Luke's coffee and anything sweet and bad for you, no identifiable fruit or vegetable allowed...you look like you could use it."

Rory smiled in anticipation..."Now that sounds like just what the doctor ordered."

She glanced around a little guiltily "I feel kind of bad leaving without a goodbye when grandma planned this whole thing for me and shouldn't I wait to rescue Logan? He is only an acquaintance, and an annoying one at that but I'd hate to desert him after he helped me out...Grandma can be formidable when she is on a mission."

Lorelai just shook her head in mock regret "Man, all those years of diligent work and I still haven't managed to beat that niceness out of you, you must have gotten that from your dad."

She looked towards the parlor where they could just see Richard clapping a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Its up to you hon, but if I were you I wouldn't worry too much about Mr. Smooth over there. My impression of the master and commander is that he won't have any trouble handling himself, even with the formidable Gilmore duo. You decide...stay and brave the lion's den or escape to the lovely land of coffee and pie."

"Well, when you put it that way..." she hesitated just an instant too long but when she saw several boys coming towards her she quickly threw her guilt aside and looked at her mother in panic "okay, I'm in, lets get out of here before they catch me, its survival of the fittest now."

Lorelai just laughed, " That's my girl, I knew it was only a matter of time before I could corrupt you."

They snuck towards the door, trying to be nonchalant about their destination, they had just made it and the door was swinging shut behind them when they heard hurried footsteps

"Drat" Lorelai muttered "we were so close, I swear that woman has spies everywhere"

They turned as one, slightly guilty expressions on their faces that dropped instantly when they saw who was following them, it was Logan.

"Soooo" he said in one drawn out syllable, his right eyebrow was raised in a look of mock disapproval "It looks like I caught you just in time.... sneaking out of such a lovely party." He clucked his tongue at them then seemed to ponder for a moment "We just started dating and already you are leaving me in a lurch. Should I extract my punishment now for your near abandonment or shall I go back inside and tell Emily that I found you?"

"Clearly this is extortion" Rory said with a huff but her nervous glance at the still open door gave her away...after a moment of silence with Lorelai grinning wickedly and looking back and forth at their stalemate she gave in with a defeated sigh "Okay, close the door and tell us your demands, what do you want now?"

"Well.... here are my terms, separate of course from our original agreement."

Rory just rolled her eyes and stood tapping her foot in impatience.

"I'm sure that where ever you were sneaking off to in such a rush is infinitely better than being trapped in there for the rest of the night,so I demand that you allow me to accompany you, after all I am your "boyfriend" for the moment and I think we are in serious need of a change in venue."

He saw Rory's jaw clench but after a quick glance at her mother she nodded in resignation, "You know Huntzberger I am beginning to rue the day that I met you, you really have a talent for making yourself the bane of my existence. Fine, come on. Just remember you asked for this."

Lorelai snickered and gestured at the pickup truck parked in the drive. "One problem dear daughter, you forget that I am stuck with the Smokey Robinson mobile here, not exactly built to carry three unless you want me shifting your leg instead of the gear shift. That might be a little close for you only just started "dating"

Rory stopped to consider this new obstacle. "Well, I have my car here so I will just meet you there. "

"And what about the ball and chain?" Lorelai asked innocently.

Rory looked over at Logan who seemed to find this whole situation immensely entertaining "Shouldn't you take your car?" Rory asked a little uneasy about spending too much time with Logan in a confined space....he was a little unpredictable.

"Well, I would but the driver dropped me off, so I guess you are stuck with me, I can just ride back to Yale with you." At Rory's grimace he laughed "Ah, the price you pay for playing hooky."

She glanced back towards the closed door again and shuddered at the thought of the horrors hidden behinds it thick bulk. She turned back to the pair behind her and pointed at her car. "Okay, Huntzberger, lets get this ill-fated journey started."

A/N: Thanks for all t he great reviews, you guys are fantastic. I really love the dynamic between these two characters and I hope you are having as much fun with them as I am.


	8. A Voyage of Discovery

Chapter 8: A Voyage of Discovery 

The doors slammed and the car was filled with a palpable silence. Unwilling to be the first to break it Rory automatically reached out to flip on the stereo and relaxed slightly when the sound of the Eels filled the small space.

For once the ever-glib Logan seemed to have nothing to say and Rory took the chance to study him out of the corner of her eye as she pulled the car onto the road. If someone had told her only hours ago that this night would find her in a car with Logan Huntzberger on the way to Luke's diner she would probably have laughed herself to tears at the sheer absurdity of the suggestion.

It was only 9:30 but if felt like a lifetime had passed since 6 o'clock. She contemplated the events of the evening and the odd twists that had brought them to this unanticipated armistice.

The ambush by her grandparents had painted her into a corner that had seemed inescapable and then there he was, an unlikely hero at best and with less than altruistic ulterior motives she was sure, yet he had gotten her out of a sticky situation and like it or not she did owe him a debt of gratitude.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad; maybe it would even be fun, in a warped sort of way.

She didn't like him, or at least she didn't want to like him. She knew he was dangerous, not because of any physical risks he took but because he challenged her view of the world, threatened to upset the balance of her precarious happiness. As obnoxious and overconfident as he was she found his eccentricity difficult to truly dislike. In fact she almost wished sometimes that she could adopt his carefree outlook on life. It seemed preferable to the knotted reality that was her life at the moment.

Her mind drifted to the knot that she found most worrisome.

Dean.

She didn't know what to do about Dean. He was her first love, he was safe, sweet, and kind and most importantly he loved her back. That should have been the end of the train of thought but she couldn't quite stop the 'but' her mind tacked onto the end.

Lately she felt like they were drifting, the differences in their day-to-day lives acting as a barrier to their similarities, the stolen moments they were able to carve out of the chaos around them were becoming few and far between. The nice little bubble of contentment they had managed to build this summer had burst and reality had rushed back in with a vengeance.

Plus there was the fact that he technically still had a wife. She groaned at this reminder. Enough with the self-flagellation.

Logan for his part was having similar thoughts, not about married boyfriends, of course, but about the strange collusion of circumstance and whim that had him driving through backwoods Connecticut on an unexpected adventure with a most unlikely companion.

He finally broke the silence. "So, I read your article."

With all the happenings of the day Rory had almost forgotten that her article had come out today. Now a slightly evil smile lit her face as she slid a teasing glance his way. "Really? So Mr. Event Integrity, what did you think...was I 'in the thick of it' enough to please your bloodthirsty tastes?"

He cleared his throat in a half laugh "I think that is an understatement." He sobered "Actually I did want to compliment you. Aside from a rather liberal use of obscure literary references and the numerous undeserved slanderous jabs towards yours truly it was an enjoyable article. A gauntlet well thrown if I do say so myself"

She cocked an eyebrow at him in sardonic surprise. "I see, so what was your favorite part?"

"I particularly enjoyed the tongue in cheek comparison of the Life and Death Brigade to Never Never Land. I will assume to suit my over-inflated ego that I was the Peter Pan that you referred to and though I think that Finn and Colin might object to being labeled the Lost Boys I found the comparison rather disturbingly apt and Stephanie is a spot on likeness of Tinkerbell. I was curious about one thing though.... who were you in this little analogy?"

Rory gave him an incredulous look "Why, I'm Wendy obvously, the practical, mature, intelligent observer who came to the rescue when their capers went awry, which they inevitably did."

"Ah, of course, the stick in the mud character. How appropriate, sort cliché though don't you think?"

"What do you mean by that remark? Is this one of those inspirational 'you need to experience' life comments? I hate that superior tone of yours. I will have you know that I am perfectly happy with the life I have, I have a great life!"

"Uh huh. To quote Shakespeare, I think the lady doth protest too much. If your life is so idyllic then my petty little remarks shouldn't bother you at all."

Logan shot her a knowing look that made her growl in frustration.... how was it that a virtual stranger could so easily get under her skin and cause her to yearn for things that she had never known she wanted.

"I say we call this a draw and move on to a new topic of conversation unless you want me to stop right here and let you walk back."

Logan was in an accommodating mood now knowing that he had won though she would never concede the point. "Now, now, no need to get hostile Ace, we are just having a friendly little conversation here. To show my good will I will let you pick the next topic."

"Okay, fair enough." She thought for a moment, realizing she didn't really know much about Logan outside their few encounters.

"What are you doing at the Daily News? As far as I can tell you have yet to type a single word, other than to text message me and most of your time is spent napping on your desk or making out with a member of your harem."

Logan swallowed a laugh at this cutting remark "Jealous Ace?"

She responded with a snort "Hardly."

"Well, if you must know I take great pleasure in tormenting Doyle, I am currently conducting a scientific experiment to see how many irritating things I can do to him before he reaches his limit and goes postal. So far I am up to 56 sarcastic remarks, three instances of open PDA on his desk, 5 naps (one which included loud snoring) and three raised eyebrows at his fashion sense.... I say we will be reaching eruption point any day now."

She looked at him dubiously "Do you ever take anything seriously?

He grinned. "I take the integrity of scientific experimentation very seriously. If they can spend billions of dollars researching how to create the perfect cream filled Twinkie without using any ingredient that is actually found outside a lab then surely it is a valid use of time to test a man's tolerance for my bullshit.... seems like an important question to me."

She stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "Are you really this much of an arrogant jerk or is it just your way of avoiding a real answer to my question?"

He bravely gave her a cocky smirk and raised his hands as if to say why fight it. "What you see is what you get."

Suddenly the playful tone had turned deadly serious as she looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes. He heard the words even though they were spoken softly "How disappointing."

The palpable silence was back and this time it was accompanied by an uncomfortable sense of self-awareness that Logan did not like one bit. Who did she think she was? The audacity of little miss perfect in her ivory tower thinking that she had any right to judge him. Why did her opinion of him even matter?

He sulked for a moment before he realized that he had hit the nail on the head with the last thought. The problem was that for some completely incomprehensible reason her opinion did matter...that was something to ponder at a later date.

Usually he would have just walked away from a situation like this unscathed but her remark had cut deep. She had struck a nerve. However, in retrospect it was probably only fair when you took into account the humiliation that she had been through tonight. He just couldn't bring himself to walk away, he didn't understand the desire to be her friend but was unable to ignore it.

That's how he found himself out on a ledge without a parachute... he figured that if he had any hope of her speaking to him after this day, aside from obligatory conversation he had better pony up fast and let her see something of the real Logan that he usually kept hidden deep inside.

He finally marred the surface of the deceptive tranquility that sat heavy in the car. "Do you want to hear the real answer to your question?"

Her gaze was steady but she didn't say anything...the ball was in his court. "The real reason I am on the Daily News staff, the real reason that I attend Yale and live in the same dorm my Dad did is because that is what any good son of Mitchum Huntzberger does. I'm good at playing the troublemaker but deep down my biggest fear is that my dad will never love me, that all I will ever be is a screw up and a disappointment, the unworthy second son of a great man."

She was a little overwhelmed and struggled to digest all this information at once as she watched his face. He was staring straight ahead now, no longer seeing the dashboard in front of him but she saw the flicker of vulnerability in his eyes and felt a pang of sympathy.

She didn't know what to say, what was one supposed to say to a practical stranger who had just sliced their heart open and bled all over the car? The first thought that skittered across her brain popped out of her mouth before she could stop it "So, you have a brother?"

He just looked at her totally perplexed with a blank look until a choked laugh surprised her. Pretty soon he was laughing so hard that the tears were rolling down his face and she had joined him.

The mood was back on familiar ground and they both felt safer there. She pulled to a stop in front Luke's just as the laughter started to die down. "Well, we have reached the promised land, there is milk and honey but I would suggest sticking with the coffee, you can't go wrong with Luke's coffee." She gestured to the diner.

He turned to her, still chuckling.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, you are very odd, do you know that?"

She blinked. "Thank you."

Only later would she remember how closely the conversation reflected another moment on a piano bench with a blond bad boy...and recall how it ended. Foreshadowing perchance of things to come.


	9. The Coffee King and the Environmentalist

Chapter 9: The Coffee King and the Environmentalist 

They entered the diner still laughing and found Lorelai already seated and deep in heated discussion with Luke.

As they joined her at the table Rory leaned over slightly and whispered in Logan's ear, her breathing tickling the sensitive flesh. "That's Luke, he is the owner of the diner and coincidentally also my mom's boyfriend. This should be entertaining so sit back and enjoy the show."

"Yeah" Lorelai cheered "Coffee!"

Rory let out a little cheer of her own "Not just any coffee but LUKE'S coffee...I think I have been going into withdrawals. You would think that with all the combined brainpower at Yale they could figure out how to make a decent cup of coffee but apparently that is too much to ask."

Luke rolled his eyes and grunted, "You do know that it is 10 o'clock at night and that coffee is supposed to keep people awake right?"

Lorelai just waved him away "You do know whom you are talking to right? I long ago down-regulated all of my caffeine receptors to the point where coffee for me is practically like taking Valium. I can only sleep like a baby if I have at least 7 cups, any less than that and I am total insomniac." she paused as if a thought had just occurred to her and then gave Luke a dirty smile "of course, insomnia could come in handy for you."

Luke flushed a little at the innuendo but it didn't stop him from tossing back a retort..."I'm definitely limiting you to only on cup, for your own good naturally."

"Naturally." Lorelai returned with a sexy wink.

"Ew mom, what have I said about sex talk in the diner...I have an impressionable young mind you know, just think of the nightmares." Rory shuddered.

"Too late for that, I think the damage is already done, talk to your therapist. You know," Lorelai continued in a solemn voice "Luke claims that it is the addition of nutmeg that makes his coffee so good but I have my doubts. My new pet theory is that there are little coffee fairies that live in the diner and who come out and sprinkle magic fairy dust on every pot of the black gold. I mean really, have you ever actually seen Luke making a pot of coffee? Oh sure, he pours it but does he really make it?"

Rory seemed to be seriously contemplating this hypothesis. Logan was pretty sure that he was in some sort of game show where they were going to jump out at any second and tell him he was on Candid Camera.

"You two have a seriously scary addiction to caffeine if this is how worked up you get just talking about the stuff."

Rory turned to look at him and said with an impish smile that he had not seen before "We talk our coffee VERY seriously.... its part of the Gilmore book of rules."

Lorelai cast her an admonishing glance "Now Mini Me what have I told you about divulging the secrets of the Gilmore girl book of rules to you. I would certainly hate to have to kill this nice young man just because you divulged the ubersecret number one rule in a moment of caffeine deprived babbling."

Lorelai saw Luke crook his head towards the counter and she quickly excused herself "I think my Coffee King beckons, I'll be back."

Sidling up to the counter she sat on a stool "What's up cowboy?"

Luke leaned in and said in a stage whisper "Who's the guy?"

Lorelai looked back at the table and saw Rory and Logan chatting animatedly "The guy is some hotshot who goes to Yale with her, he was sort of the hero of tonight's epic battle with the evil Gilmore clan so we are allowing him a reprieve from the normal inquisition for the night. They are just friends."

"Uh Huh." Luke looked skeptical as he observed the pair at the table.

"Just leave it alone for the night Luke, she needs a breather after the night she has had.... I'll tell you all the details later but suffice it to say that if Logan hadn't come along we might have had to chop through the barbarian hordes to escape. Besides, nothing is going to happen with me there to chaperone, I am very hard to ignore." She patted his hand in reassurance and slid off the stool.

Luke approached the table a moment later with 3 cups. "So, what can I get you."? Logan noticed he gave him a particularly unfriendly glare but his attention soon snapped back to Lorelai.

"You know the drill coffee...lots of coffee and keep it coming, in fact you might as well just haul those coffee fairies right out here to our table and make then put in a little overtime."

His eyes rolled in exasperation but Logan noted he didn't even bother to comment...clearly this was an old game they played.

Lorelai continued as if she hadn't notice the eye roll. "And we will each have a cheeseburger, fries and a slice of pie.... and don't bother putting any of that scary green stuff on the burgers.... it just screws up the flavor and contaminates the whole thing."

Another eye roll, this one with a retort "I am going to go out on a limb here and translate "scary green stuff" as a reference to the lettuce and tomato that is the only half way redeeming part of the heart attack burgers that you have just ordered."

"Well Luke, I'm glad that you mentioned it. I've put a lot of thought into this and you see the way I figure it we are actually doing a good deed for the environment because if you do give us burgers with all that "scary green stuff " on them then I just have to pick off the offending things which means they go to waste and half the time I also have to send back the burger because that icky slimy stuff from the tomatoes infects the cheese and there is just no getting rid of the taste of lettuce. Blech!" Lorelai made a comically disgusted face at this. "So you see I am really being the conscientious, responsible inhabitant of the Planet Earth. Perhaps I should go and volunteer for Greenpeace, I'm sure they would applaud my cheeseburger sans lettuce plan for saving the world."

"Are you finished?"

"Only if you are bringing me coffee."

"Anything, if it will shut you up."

Rory piped in for the first time after watching this exchange with laughter dancing in her eyes. "Oh, Logan, do you want something different?"

"Nah, that sounds fine." He looked at Luke "only I will live on the wild side and have lettuce and tomato. What can I say, I'm irresponsible."

Luke just grunted but Logan caught a little smirk a he headed for the kitchen.

They were half way through their burgers and on approximately their fifth cup of coffee...each and Logan was watching the conversation like a tennis match, back and forth. He had seen a lot of things in his short lifetime but he wasn't sure he had ever encountered any odd couple as entertaining as Rory and her mother when they were on a roll.

The quiet, contained Rory he knew had vanished entirely and was replaced by a sarcastic, fast talking, wickedly sardonic girl that was currently buzzing like a hummingbird on 5 cups of coffee and seemed to have eaten more than twice her body weight in about ten minutes flat. Most the girls that he dated were so obsessed with their weight and fitting into their perfect sexy outfits that he was surprised if they even finished a whole salad much less the amount of food that was currently piled on the table in front of them.

Lorelai finally set down the burger and looked across the table "Now then, I think we have wasted enough with idle chit chat, let's cut to the chase. I want to hear the sordid details of this deal with the devil. No offense Logan."

Logan just shrugged and gave her a toothy grin "Hey, if the shoe fits."

"You don't happen to have a motorcycle do you?" he didn't know where this subplot was going but he opened his mouth to answer then was cut off by Rory.

"Don't answer that." she gave Lorela a stern look "What did I say about personal details mom?"

Lorelai pouted like a kid who had just been found with her hand stuck in the cookie jar, to add to the childish display she stuck out her tongue "You're no fun...so far, I like the devil better. On with the story, I want particulars. Oh, and we should really include Luke too if this is going to involve any acting on our part because you never know what lengths Emily will go to in order to root out the facts, so he has to know the party line."

Rory looked at Luke and hesitated "Okay, if you think we should. He's not going to like it though."

Lorelai just grimaced "Unless Logan here is a Prince waiting to be King he already failed Luke's test so I say we just jump in with both feet."

Rory and Logan looked at each other and then nodded in agreement.

Lorelai waved Luke over and pulled out a chair for him to sit in. "Okay Luke, you and I are about to hear about this little plot that these kids have concocted, now you have to promise that you will listen and not blow a gasket. Sometimes crazy sounding schemes are necessary in the heat of battle so just hear them out."

Luke made an exasperated face at Lorelai but then nodded to Rory. "Okay, I think I am ready."

Rory took a breath, where to start? "When I got trapped tonight at the matchmaking party Logan offered me a solution to get me out of the situation without creating World War III and I took it. We told grandma and grandpa that we are dating, we didn't mention a specific time frame but I implied that it had only been a few weeks. In case she asks for specifics I think we should say that we met on an outing I went on to research a story, so that would make it about 2 weeks ago. My half of the bargain was that in return for this favor tonight Logan can use me, if an occasion arises, as a stand in date for a similar family type function.... oh and I get a new dress in return." Rory decided to leave out the second part of the bargain, the extra secret event .... no need to clutter the situation with as yet undetermined details.

"Ooh a take a home prize!' Lorelai clapped her hands gleefully. "Well, given the extenuating circumstances I think that sounds like a reasonable plan. What about you Luke?"

Luke didn't look happy about what he had heard and they all waited with baited breath for his answer. Finally he sighed "I don't agree with this kind of dishonesty, but given my recent run in with your grandparent's I am beginning to see the necessity in select situations ...okay, I will go along with it if it comes up."

Rory nodded in relief "Now both of you just have to promise me that you won't tell Dean."

She was about to say something more when suddenly the bell at the door rang and Lorelai, who was facing the door looked at her with eyes wide with alarm. It was one of those looks that said that whoever you were just talking about is now standing directly behind you and heard everything.

Rory's stomach dropped to her knees and she felt the blood drain from her face as she slowly turned in her chair.

"Dean, hi."


	10. Old Habits Die Hard

Chapter 10: Old Habits Die Hard

Logan missed the look from Lorelai but he saw Rory blanch, every drop of blood drained from her face leaving it ghost white and her eyes took on the wild look of a cornered animal. Then he noticed the tall boy standing behind her.

He didn't know who the new arrival was but from the varied expressions of horror and panic around the table he would have bet money that it was the infamous boyfriend. The next words confirmed his conjecture.

Rory's voice sounded strangled "Dean, hi...wh-what are you doing here?"

"Maybe that's the question I should be asking you." The boy spat out in a disbelieving tone "Or more specifically maybe I should ask what you are doing here with him." He pointed an accusing finger at Logan. "Tell me we are not really doing this again." He snorted in disgust and turned "You are unbelievable Rory." With that he slammed out of the diner, the ringing bell on the door was the only sound that split the deafening silence.

Lover boy might be a man of few words but from the look on Rory's face they were effective ones.

Logan, in true Logan fashion, tried to make a joke "So that's the notorious Dean? Seems like a charmer."

Rory just stared at him and the wrecked look in her eyes had the laughter dying on his lips.

She looked around slowly at the group assembled at the table. She closed her eyes in horror as she pictured what it must have looked like to Dean, their chairs pulled close together, their heads bent forward as they hatched their devious plan and then the words, from her own mouth, the ultimate betrayal.

This was bad, this was way past bad, this was more in the zip code of atrocious or appalling... what was it with her and Dean that always seemed to end in a shipwreck...usually involving another guy.

She lurched up from her seat, unsteady on her feet. "I have to talk to him." She mumbled half to herself.

Lorelai stood as well "Are you sure that's a good idea honey? Maybe you should give him some time to cool off then you can explain this in a rational way."

Rory just gazed at them again with a blank uncomprehending look "There isn't a rational explanation for this. This should never have happened."

She spun on her heel and ran out the door after Dean.

The boyfriend's reaction to an innocent situation had seemed all out of proportion to an outside bystander but looking at the worried faces of Rory's mom and the man who was obviously a father figure to her Logan couldn't help but wonder what he was missing.

Silence reigned in the diner and three sets of eyes were trained on the window as they watched Rory catch up with Dean across the square.

Logan, still a virtual stranger to these people felt a little voyeuristic watching what appeared to be a pivotal moment in their lives but he couldn't seem to turn away from the tableau. It was sort of like watching a car wreck ...it was horrible, gruesome but part of you couldn't help but look to see if anyone survived the wreckage and rejoice that it wasn't you trapped in those twisted remnants.

"Dean" she yelled as she saw him crossing the town square, at first he didn't stop so she broke into a run still screaming his name. She knew he heard her because finally his shoulders slumped in defeat and he slowed his pace. The panic gave her a burst of speed and she caught up and fell into step with him.

"Dean, it isn't what you think. What you saw in there. It was all a mistake, a misunderstanding. Logan is just a friend who I ran into at my grandparents party." She grabbed at his arm in desperation begging him to stop. "Dean, you've got to believe me."

Finally, he stopped and turned towards her but he still wouldn't look in her eye.

"Dean, please..." it came out a broken plea as she choked back a sob.

At last he looked at her and she almost wished he hadn't. The devastation in his eyes punched her in the gut and had her sucking in a trembling breath. "Dean..." she reached out to touch him but he shook off her hand.

He spoke softly but his words seemed to echo in the square. "I thought you were at some party tonight, at your grandparent's house. Was that just another lie? Like with Jess...just explain to me why you didn't have time to spend with me but you found time to get all cozy with some complete stranger.... what the hell are you doing Rory? Am I just a toy that you string along when you have no one better to spend your time with and then leave high and dry when someone better comes along? I was so stupid to have even started this with you again...my life is in a shambles because of you and yet here we are again at an instant replay of the dance a thon. I probably deserve this pain since it seems like I am just too thickheaded to learn the lesson the first two times. I should have known I would just end up with my heart broken again. That is always how it ends with you, there is never a happy ever after."

After this outburst he stared up at the night sky as if he were asking for some kind of divine intervention. Then he sighed with resignation and rubbed a tired hand across his eyes before looking at her again. He felt a pang in his heart at the silent tears that coursed down her cheeks.

"Look Rory, I'm sorry. I am angry at you for tonight, and I think I have every right, what ever was going on in there was not as innocent as you want me to believe."

Rory started to protest but he held up a hand to stop her.

"I am angry at you, but more than anything I'm angry at myself. What I just said to you wasn't entirely fair, it isn't your fault that my life is in a shambles, it's mine. I made my own decisions, I got myself into this mess."

Rory could see now that Dean was on the verge of some kind of inner chasm. "Dean, lets sit down and talk about this at least."

This time he didn't fight her grasp as she led him to the steps of the gazebo. He sat down and placed his face in his hands with a dejected sigh. She gingerly sat down next to him feeling the melancholy engulf her as well.

She opened her mouth but wasn't sure what to say and sighed as she closed it again. She stared up into the dark sky; the pale moon was higher now and illuminated the square with a strange ghostly light. They sat that way for a long time Rory looking at the sky and Dean at the ground.

Two different perspectives on the world, Rory thought. That was probably why they had worked so well together in high school, they were so different but they found a sweet balance in each other. They had love and that was all they needed.... well, until Jess came along, Rory thought with a pang of remorse.

So many mistakes had been made and yet somehow they had found their way back to each other. Wasn't that fate...true love like you read about in fairytales?

Rory let herself exist in the idyllic world of memory for a long moment. Then she did what she knew had to be done, what she had been avoiding since the beginning...she ripped aside the shroud and looked in the mirror.

She didn't like what was reflected there, she had known she wouldn't. She didn't like the person that she had become, a person who would sleep with a married man because of fear and insecurity. Last year she had ventured out into the real world and it had terrified her. For the first time in her life she hadn't felt safe and she yearned for that warm cocoon of stability. She had stood at a crossroads in her life and she had taken the coward's way out. She had settled for what had been instead of what could be, too afraid to take the risks and blaze a new trail. She had trapped herself in the cobwebs of the past and her actions had threatened everything that was dear to her. Her own mother, her best friend was ashamed of her. Not because she had slept with a married man, those wounds would heal in time, but because she had gone against everything that Lorelai had struggled her whole life to teach her, daring, courage, a belief in her self, independence and imagination.

She had been lying to herself since day one. She hadn't found her way back to Dean because she had never really left. Had never allowed herself to move on, to move forward. He had been her safety net and she had used him without thought of the consequences.

The spark wasn't there anymore and in her heart she had known that since waking up next to him in her bed but she hadn't been able to stop herself from trying to reconstruct what they had once had. It was true they still had love.... it just wasn't enough anymore.

Irrevocable decisions got made in the silence that stretched between them and finally she spoke. "Dean, you aren't alone in the blame. We both made bad decisions. We got carried away in the heat of the moment and did things that we both regret. I love you, and I don't regret the time that we have spent together, but I think that maybe we both knew it wouldn't last forever. So much changed for me this year and I was so scared that all I could think about was how perfect you were, how perfect and happy we were. Now tts time to face the facts, that isn't reality anymore and I don't think we can make it real again no matter how hard we try.

Dean looked at her then and resolution had replaced the anger in his eyes "Rory, I love you, I have always loved you since that first day I saw you and I still feel that but we are too different. We want different things. It has taken me a long time but now I realize that some obstacles can't be overcome. I didn't want to see the truth because it hurt. I don't know what I am going to do yet, what I want to do but maybe that has been the whole problem, I'm so mixed up and I don't know what I want. I was lonely and scared and I loved you and that made sense, that was easy, so I took the easy way. "

Rory nodded in understanding "I think we both did."

Rory leaned up against him, smelling his familiar comforting scent and remembering all the good times they had together. He was her first for a lot of things and he would always hold a special place in her heart but the time for the past was over.

Finally she pushed away and stood up.

"Dean, I want to be happy, I want you to be happy and I think the only way to do that is to start fresh. I know that we will still see each other around, in a town like Stars Hollow it is virtually impossible not to and I hope that someday we can be friends but I think that right now that isn't good for either of us."

Dean lowered his head but nodded "I agree."

Dean slowly stood and looked down at her as he whispered "Goodbye Rory."

She gave him a last imploring look and said with a half smile. "Be happy Dean, you deserve that." He nodded once before turning and walking away.

She watched until she could barely make out his form at the far end of the street, the pain wasn't over she knew, there would be time for tears and she would feel heartache but for now all she felt was numb and clean.

She realized now that all the pent up fear was gone, she didn't like what she saw in the mirror but she still had the chance to change it. The important part was that she wasn't afraid to look anymore. "Goodbye Dean" she whispered almost to herself.

Then she turned her back on the past and walked towards the diner, towards an undefined and unexplored future.


	11. The Road to Recovery

Chapter 11: The Road to Recovery

Logan felt a little like Alice when she had stumbled through the looking glass. What the hell was he doing here in some quaint little town sitting at a table in an empty diner watching a relationship in its death throes with the mother of a girl that he had really only talked to a handful of times?

Yes, he enjoyed the lively verbal skirmishes with said girl, yes, he enjoyed baiting her and he could tell himself he had butted in to this little outing out of boredom but he would have to admit that wasn't entirely true. She interested him and he had wanted the chance to figure out what made her tick, to spend time with her outside the circus arena of the Life and Death Brigade or the watchful eyes of Hartford's elite.

Clearly, this was not the kind of time that he had been picturing.

He liked risk, liked the thrill of taking chances with life but he didn't like the odds in this kind of game, the house always won and you inevitably ended up screwed. With his usual flavor of female companion he was usually long gone before the subject of love and commitment ever came up. His specialty was seizing the moment. He did not do happy ever after.

Time seemed to have slowed to a snail's pace and he was ready to bolt. Lorelai must have sensed this because suddenly she tore her eyes away from the action...or lack thereof in the square.

"You know Logan, Rory may just want to stay here tonight. Do you have another way back to New Haven?" She was giving him an escape hatch and he leapt at it.

"Oh, sure, in fact I was just thinking that maybe that would be for the best. I'm sure Rory won't want me around anyway. I'll just call my parents and have them send the driver. It shouldn't take him long to get here this time of night." He grabbed his cell phone and stepped outside where he got a better signal to make the call.

He had the phone to his ear when he saw Rory walking towards him. Someone answered on the other end but after a brief hesitation he hit the cancel button and waited until she was in front of him.

He searched her face for a wordless beat and what he saw there surprised him. He had expected the trace of tears, the sad eyes but his limited experience with bad breakups had mostly involved angry shouts and hurtling objects and had not led him to envision the look of purpose in her eyes or the almost serene expression on her face.

He narrowed his eyes as he attempted to make sense of this strange idiosyncrasy. Maybe this was just the calm that lulled you into complacency before the storm hit. He tested the waters with a neutral statement.

He gestured to the phone "Hey, your mom thought you might want to stay here tonight so I was just going to call my parent's driver to pick me up."

"Oh, you don't need to do that, I'm still going back to Yale tonight and you are welcome to ride with me if you want. Of course after the theatrics of this bizarre night I wouldn't blame you if you ran all the way to New Haven just to get away from my crazy life. Just let me say goodbye to my mom and Luke and we can hit the road."

This was said in a very matter of fact tone. Was she really trying to pretend that the last 30 minutes had never occurred? He narrowed his eyes but played along. He tried a joking tone next.

Bowing low he said "Your wish is my command milady. Shall I wait in your royal carriage then?"

She smiled....okay now that was really odd, granted it wasn't quite at full wattage but it was a smile nonetheless. "If you aren't here when I come back out I will assume that your better sense has returned and you made a run for it."

She walked past him into the diner and he was left puzzling over the conundrum.

He watched through the window as she walked up to Lorelai who greeted her with open arms and engulfed her in a hug. Luke hung back a bit but Logan could see that he wanted to comfort her as well, or at least beat someone up to defend her honor. He wondered just for a moment what it would be like to have a family that loved you like that, unconditionally, just for being you.

Inside Luke's Rory pulled out of the hug and looked at Lorelai who brushed a piece of hair off her face.

Rory's tone was almost wistful as she said "I know I should be hurt and sad, and I am sure that all that will come later but right now I think this was what had to happen. I loved Dean but there was no way we could recapture that first love, we have both grown beyond that, we are different people and I think being with him was just a desperate attempt on my part to feel safe, comfortable, happy again. Except we weren't happy, not really, the spark was gone...am I a horrible person for feeling that way?"

Lorelai looked her daughter in the eye "No, you aren't horrible, and Dean isn't a horrible person. You are just human and humans make mistakes, it is part of our biological makeup. Trust me on this one because I have a little experience in this area, sometimes things just can't go back to the way they were no matter how much you wish they could, too much has changed.

"Thanks mom." She hugged her again and then impulsively hugged Luke who blushed slightly. She giggled a little at that, it was always funny to see the gruff diner man blush.

"I think it would be better if I went back to Yale tonight. Being here right now is just going to make things harder, I just need a little distance for a couple of days."

Lorelai wiped her hand over Rory's cheek and then forced herself to drop her hand. Rory needed her to let go, to let her get through this on her own.

"Okay, but only if you agree to one required condition. You must wallow for at least 24 hours, I will not specify whether this 24 hours must be consecutive or not but the aforementioned wallowing must involve ice cream, may include any member of the gummy class of sweets and/or members of the cream filled snack food category but must not under any circumstances be done within close proximity of a green vegetable. In addition any properly run wallowing procedure necessitates copious imbibing of caffeinated beverages while watching an unhealthy number of Gilmore approved chic flicks. Now this is something I take very seriously so I want you to raise your right hand and repeat after me... I Rory"

Rory raised her hand and tried to look solemn but couldn't quite contain the chuckle "I Rory, do solemnly swear on the Luke's coffee that I will complete the aforementioned wallowing procedure as laid out in section 7 part b of the Gilmore Girl Rule Book." Even Luke broke a smile at that one.

She lowered her hand and Lorelai gave her a last quick hug before she opened the door.

Lorelai's words folllowed her out the door " Love ya kid...but remember I will require proof of the completion of your task.....oh and say goodbye to the Big MaC for me."

She headed out to the car where she found Logan lounging against the hood. She quirked an eyebrow "I guess you really are a daredevil after all."

He shot her a cocky grin as he climbed into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt "In Omnia Paratus!" he said with a fake cheer. Now he just hoped she didn't have a meltdown halfway home and decide to ram them into a median or something.

Logan usually didn't stick around for the aftermath of a break up and for once he was at a loss for a suitable topic of conversation. Finally he blurted out the first thing that came to mind "Did your mother just nickname me after a fast food?"

She looked at him like perhaps he was a bit slow "What?"

"Your mother, you know crazy woman with the wild black hair, insane addiction to coffee, I would have sworn that I heard her call me a Big Mac."

"Ah.....no, well yes, it is a member of the fast food family but in this case it is also my mother's ingenious version of your self-picked title, Master and Commander...see big M A C."

"Oh. Now that is good. You guys seem to be pretty good at the art of the nickname, tell me some of your other ones, I could use a good laugh."

She looked over at Logan and realized that this was one of the first halfway normal conversations that they had ever had. There was something funny going on here...he was up to something. If there was one thing that she had learned about Logan so far it was that almost nothing he said or did was actually what it seemed.She considered him with narrowed eyes, and then it hit her.

"Logan, are you being nice to me?"

She asked it with such incredulity in her tone that he almost let out a sarcastic quip but he schooled his tongue to good behavior. "I don't know what you are talking about Ace, I'm always nice to you." He tried to look wounded.

She regarded him with a cynical eye "I'm going to have to beg to differ, you are never nice. Sarcastic, droll, witty, mocking, satirical, sardonic, funny, imperious, condescending, argumentative, cocky, pompous, narcissistic, arrogant....those are just a few of the adjectives that would describe your normal modus operandi and I can keep going if you want. You play a lot of roles in our conversations but never to my recollection have you been nice."

"Just what are you implying with all those big SAT words Ace? I think I am offended."

She laughed at him this time and then sobered "You are amusing, I will give you that, its one of the reasons I put up with your less desirable traits, that and your unpredictability. Don't ruin that now by being trite. If you really want to do something nice for me then do me a favor and stick to sarcasm Huntzberger, sweet doesn't suit you.

He could she was serious so he acquiesced.... "You win Ace, I will happily metamorphose back into my normal imperious, droll oh and you forgot charming self. Don't say that you didn't ask for it."

She smiled now with a wicked gleam in her eye. "So, you really want to hear some of our better nicknames...I mean I have a knack for it by my mother has taken it to the level of an art form. Let me think, the last blonde bad boy that crossed our path got dubbed Bible Boy or alternately Son of Satan, because he quite unoriginally named me Mary."

"You a Mary? Never would have guessed."

She shot him an arch look... "Hey mister, I am not as innocent as you think."

He raised an eyebrow "Oh really? Prove it....tell me one thing that you have done that I would find scandalous."

The light in his eyes was daring her and for one second she considered telling him THE secret. Reason quickly returned. "I kissed a girl once."

She laughed when Logan wiggled his eyebrows playfully . "Well, well Ace, you may have the heart of a rebel buried in that blue blood after all. I won't ruin your triumph by asking about the extenuating circumstances, because I am sure that would just take away from overall effect of the story."

"I won't even ask about the scandalous things that you have done because I am sure that list would probably take all night and we don't have that much time."

"You expect me to believe that you don't want to spend the rest of your Friday night having me regale you with tales of my wicked past?" he gave her a look of shock.

"You know, given the direction this night has taken it couldn't possibly make it any worse. Under different circumstances I might even take you up on the offer purely for the comedic relief. However, I have been given a very serious mission by mother which I am honor bound to fulfill....I did swear on Luke's coffee after all and that is about as sacred as it gets in our screwy world. I would like to make a little detour before we get back to campus, do you mind?"

"no problem, you know my motto. I'm in....tell me does it involve something dangerous?"

She pulled into the lot at a convenience store and climbed out of the car calling back over her shoulder "Only if you consider junk food overdosing a dangerous activity."

When he followed her inside he found her ransacking the junk food aisle "Whoa there Ace, are you preparing for an Armageddon or planning on becoming a hermit and never coming out of your room again because those are the only two reasonable explanations that I can come up with for this looting of the store, oh wait is that it?" he looked around as if looking for onlookers "are we robbing the store?"

She just thrust the basket of goodies into his hand and said "come on, I need ice cream too....it says so in the rule book."

Okay, now she wasn't making one iota of sense. "What rule book would that be Ace?" he spoke as if she were a lunatic he was trying to talk off a ledge and she decided to have a little fun with him.

"Oh, for heaven's sake Huntzberger, sometime you are so dense. It is the Gilmore Girl Rule Book, this would be the secret ritual for seduction of an unwitting member of the male sex....now if I could just find the whip cream and the hand cuffs we would be all ready to get started.....you did say you were "ready for anything" right?"

He thought that if she could see the picture that had just flashed across his mind she would probably be running very fast in the opposite direction. He quickly recovered and shot her a playful leer. "Right you are Ace, carpe diem I always say and may I voice my approval at the creative use of whipped toppings, just throw a little chocolate sauce in there and let the festivities begin."

She smacked him on the arm and glared at him but couldn't quite keep a straight face. "You really are incorrigible. I hate to ruin your little testosterone induced fantasy but these supplies are for wallowing, you know pity party, junk food, a few Meg Ryan movies....pink bunny slippers, you get the picture."

"Must be a girl thing." He said with a look of aversion.

She patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "Come on Mac , lets go...I have a date with some Super Fudge Chunk and Ben and Jerry don't like to be kept waiting."

The parking lot was oddly quiet at night and they appeared to be the only two people around as they walked across the now dark campus that was sporadically lit by flickering lights and the pale glow of the moonlight. At the courtyard of Branford they stopped.

If she hadn't be who she was and he hadn't been who he was it might have been a romantic moment. As it was she was still dressed in her now mangled dress from the party that seemed like a lifetime ago, one arm was weighed down by a sack of junk food, she was now carrying her high heels in the other hand and she could feel her hair falling out of its french twist and across her face. She blew ineffectually at it but failed utterly as it flopped back into her eyes. She was still musing at the wreck she appeared when Logan reached out and brushed the offending hair behind her ear.

She stilled instantly. The contact was strangely gentle and felt uncomfortably sensual. She stared into Logan's eyes and noticed idly that there were golden flecks sparkling in those warm brown depths. As she watched his warm brown gaze heated liked warmed whiskey. She suddenly realized he was staring at her mouth and she didn't remember him stepping closer but his chest almost brushed the hand she had wrapped around her goody bag. She felt a little lick of panic and searched desperately for something to stop the tingly awareness that she could feel crawling up her back "So, some night, huh?" she blurted out.

"Yeah, some night indeed." He said it with a husky voice and she felt a shiver slither up her spine. He looked at her with a little lopsided grin that suddenly she didn't find nearly as annoying as she usually did. Uh oh. Warning bells went off in her head, she definitely was not ready for this. She could hold her own with Logan the debate partner, the Casanova version was way out of her league. That soft voice continued "We should do it again some time."

An incredulous laugh burst from her lips "Yeah right, which part exactly is that you would want to repeat, the part where my grandparents shanghaied me into some antiquated mating ritual, the part where you blackmailed me into pretending you were my date, or maybe the part where I broke up with my boyfriend? Gee, I don't know there are so many good options to choose from, I don't know which to pick."

He stopped her babbling with a soft finger to her lips. "This part." His voice was barely above a whisper as he closed the slight gap between them brushing his mouth over hers in a kiss as soft as a caress.

Luckily she dropped her shoe. The sharp pain of the heel hitting her foot slapped her out of the warm haze of the moment and back to cold hard reality. She backed away from him one slow step at a time, watching him like a small animal might watch a dangerous predator that they feared might pounce on them any second.

She stopped when there was about five feet separating them. She took a deep breath to calm her raging heartbeat. "Look Logan, this has been a crazy night. I am so turned around I don't even know which direction is up anymore. I appreciate everything that you have done for me and I promise to uphold my end of the bargain. But here's the deal...we aren't friends, we are barely even acquaintances. Whatever just happened was a mistake, the end result of a bizarre roller coaster of a night. I know I for one have hit my quotient of melodrama for the forseeable future." She sighed and rubbed her wrist back over her face to push the hair out of her eyes again.

His fingers itched to do it for her, to feel that cord of brown silk wrap around his hand as he tucked it behind her ear.

What the hell was wrong with him? He rarely regretted anything in his life, it was a rule he made for himself but right at that moment he regretted whatever compulsion had possessed him to kiss Rory Gilmore. His mind was whirling. He had kissed lots of girls and knew well the game of lust, the heady heat of desire. He hadn't expected the leap of fire in his belly at one chaste little touch of the lips and especially not from Rory Gilmore. There was a fire beneath that icy surface that he hadn't anticipated.

She was still talking and he forced his attention back to her words trying not to look at the sexy mouth that formed those perfect syllables.

"If we could just forget that this whole night ever happened it would really make me happy. I'll owe you one. Right now my life is enough of a mess already without adding more chaos to the mix." Her eyes were begging him to agree.

He couldn't resist "You know, you take life too seriously, don't you know that chaos is what keeps things interesting."

Her expression didn't change so he reverted to the well played Don Juan with a practiced smirk "Hey kid, your loss. You don't need to worry about me Ace, all is forgotten cross my heart." He crossed a finger over his heart.

She looked relieved which was a bit of a blow to the ego but he recovered easily and grinned at her. "Back to the status quo, happy wallowing and I expect I will see you around the newsroom, you can't miss me, I'll be the one napping."

That got a slight chuckle. "Thanks again Huntzberger, especially for not being sweet."

He sent her a toothy grin..."Any time Ace."

He let her get half way across the courtyard before he called after her. "Just remember I always collect my debts."

She didn't even turn around but he heard her chuckle and her words carried back to him. "Just put it on my tab."


	12. the Inquistion

Chapter 12: The Inquisition 

Monday was jarringly ordinary.

Coffee, classes, more coffee, studying, Logan alternately smirking and napping at his desk while she worked on her next article at the paper, Paris ranting about Rabbi Levinson who she suspected was screening her calls, Doyle bitching about Logan.

Life went on as usual, everything fit neatly in its place in her world....except for her.

She had asked for normal. It should have pleased her that Logan appeared to be sticking to his end of the bargain. He hadn't even made one backhanded comment about their little deal. In fact, aside from a playful wink this morning he seemed more interested in catching up on his beauty sleep than in tormenting her. Now she just wished that she could do the same.

She glanced over at him peacefully snoring away and contemplated throwing something at him just for spite, that was the kind of mood she was in. He had done exactly what she asked him to and now it was driving her insane.

If her life was one of those kids games with all the different shaped holes then she was spending her morning unsuccessfully trying to ram her now square self into the circular opening that she had once occupied. The worst part about it was she didn't know how to fix it.

After a weekend of wallowing she had expected to have a clearer head instead she was more confused than ever. She had let go of all the clutter of her relationship with Dean but she was left with a confusing jumble of new thoughts and emotions that she was still struggling to untangle. The most perplexing part was that no matter what angle she looked at it from Logan Huntzberger was right in the center of that turmoil. It didn't make any sense given the fact that they had only known each other a matter of weeks but somehow he had become a central puzzle piece that she couldn't quite put in its place to make the picture complete.

She was staring blankly at her computer monitor having read the last sentence five times without comprehension when a movement across the room caught her attention. She watched with almost morbid fascination as Logan smiled as he rose from his desk and slung his arm around a petite blond girl before giving her a kiss on the cheek. They began talking animatedly.

A foreign feeling twisted in her stomach but she refused to define it as jealousy. She could not, would not be jealous over Logan Huntzberger, it was preposterous. She didn't even like him.

She tried to focus on her screen again but the giggling and the teasing tone of Logan's voice grated on her last nerve. She couldn't be expected to work in this environment, this was supposed to be a newsroom not a sleazy singles bar.

She needed more coffee and a desk without a view of the floor show. She quickly shoved back her chair and began haphazardly shoving papers into her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and charged for the door. She couldn't help a small smile when she bumped against Logan and the blonde bimbo on her way out and unbalanced them onto the desk but she hid it well turning to them with a completely innocent expression and saying with sugary insincerity. "Sorry about that."

The insightful look in Logan's eyes left a sour taste in her mouth and she quickly made her exit unconsciously grumbling under her breath about egotistical jerks.

Logan's laugh followed her out of the newsroom and she cursed herself for letting him aggravate her.

As she stalked away still mumbling epithets Logan turned back to the girl. "So cuz, what brings you to my humble newsroom?"

They heard Doyle mutter something about privileged white males as he walked by and Logan leaned in and whispered "Just ignore him, I just let him pretend he is in charge around here to boost his self esteem. So, sweets tell me what's new with you? I haven't seen you in while."

The blond girl gave him a pointed look and nodded towards the now empty doorway. "Not much on my end. What's new with you? Got a new fish dangling on the end of the line already?"

Logan gave her his most virtuous look. "Who? Rory?"

"If she is the girl that just walked out of here in a major huff then yes, Rory."

Logan waived it off "Oh, we're just friends, actually, I think he word was barely acquaintances who occasionally exchange words....usually antagonistic ones. Most days I don't think she likes me much."

"Uh huh" she looked unconvinced "I'm sure that is why she practically knocked us to the ground on her way out." She rubbed her arm in mock consternation "and I'll tell you for a little thing she packed quite a wallop. Seriously though Logan, when have you ever just been friends with a girl?"

"You injure me Darcy, I resent that insinuation, are you saying our friendship means nothing to you?"

She laughed at his puppy dog eyes. "Good try Casanova, I am talking about friendship with a girl that doesn't share your DNA."

"Well, you know we are only second cousins." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She whacked him on the shoulder "Yuck! That is too much, even from you and don't forget that I know you well enough to recognize your sad attempt to side-track me from my original question. Now I am even more interested in the answer, who is the girl?"

Logan sat back down in his chair and leaned back with his hands behind his head as Darcy perched on the edge of the desk. He pondered the question for a moment, not exactly sure how best to describe his nebulous relationship with Rory Gilmore. "Lets just say she is a work in progress and leave it at that."

Darcy cocked her head to one side her green eyes assessing him. Logan unwilling to talk about a girl...this was a first. She and Logan had practically grown up together and knew each other's darkest secrets and she had never seen that particular look in his eye when he talked about a girl. She had found his little display of affection amusing, even more so when the girl reacted so dramatically but she hadn't missed the spark of triumph in his eye when she stormed out.

She was dying of curiosity but if she was right and Logan really did fancy this girl then she knew her best bet was to hold her tongue and let him figure things out on his own. Logan could be a little prickly when he was out of his comfort zone and from the reaction she had witnessed he had already crossed that line.

Logan had a well deserved reputation as a ladysman . She had seen him go through a million girls, but she figured most of them got what they asked for. From her perspective most of Logan's playmates fell into one of two categories, they were either golddiggers more interested in Logan's inheritance than his personality or they were wealthy party girls, they female version of Logan himself. They were an easy choice, comfortable with the life he lived and didn't demand anything more than he was willing to give.

That made her a little sad for him. Logan could be annoying at times but she loved him like a brother and she knew he had a good heart underneath the cocky attitude. He deserved to find someone who would challenge him but also love him for who he really was. She wondered idly if she had just had a run in with that girl.

Rory had worked up quite a head of steam as she stalked across campus and by the time she reached her dorm room she was waving one hand wildly in the air as she talked aloud to herself. A voice from behind her startled her out of her one person show.

"Hey Rory, I haven't seen you in a while how is life treating you?" She spun towards the familiar voice and relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Hey Marty, you startled me, I guess I was in my own little world."

He chuckled a little "I guess so, that was the third time I called your name. By the way that was an impressive soliloquy from the part I caught. Paris driving you crazy again?"

She just shook her head in exasperation as she thought about the source of her frustration. "No, I've come to terms with the fact that Paris is just Paris and nothing short of a lobotomy will ever change that. I have pretty much built up an immunity to her at this point. No, the tirade you caught me in was caused by a new irritant."

"Really?" he cocked an eyebrow in curiosity "its not often that I see you that riled, care to tell Dr. Marty all about it?"

She thought it over....she was a little hesitant to talk about it with Marty knowing his opinion of Logan and his cronies but then maybe he was the perfect person to unload her frustration on, he would definitely be a sympathetic ear, plus Marty was always good at cheering her up.

Impulsively she linked her arm through Marty's and said "I hope you have an hour or two because this might take a while. Let me treat you to a cup of coffee and I'll tell you all my trials and tribulations."

As they headed back towards the entrance to the courtyard Rory was already laughing at one of Marty's funny stories about his British History Professor so she never noticed the dark haired boy watching them from the Branford staircase.

Finn cocked his head to one side as he watched Logan's new friend happily link arms with the bartender and walk away laughing. Now this was an interesting development. Finn rarely took life seriously and usually happily assumed the role of court jester to the amusement of all. Most people assumed because of his devil may care attitude that there wasn't much going on upstairs but he was surprisingly observant and most people would have been shocked at the things he noticed.

Generally meddling in Logan's love life was a fruitless pursuit, keeping track of the this weeks girl wasn't usually worth the time or effort. It wasn't until after the Life and Death Brigade event that he had seen a curious change in Logan. Logan always treated his playmates well but he wasn't generally protective or particularly proprietary about them. This smart mouthed brunette was different and Finn decided it was about time to take his friend out for a little evening of male bonding and get to the bottom of this little mystery.

Rory was in a much better mood when she paused in front of her door to pull out her keys. She stopped when the door swung open and Paris abruptly pulled her inside.

"What is going on with you Gilmore? I don't like the idea that you are trying to displace me as the neurotic one in this little friendship of ours. It upsets the balance, our relationship only works because we each have defined parts in this little script. You dating Logan Huntzberger does not fit into this nice little scenario."

Rory was dumbfounded. Only Paris could manage to totally blind side her with such a bizarre statement.

"What are you talking about Paris, you know I just broke up with Dean, you have the dead carcasses of ben and jerry's containers to prove it. You should know better than anyone that I am not dating anybody new and where did you even come up with such a ridiculous notion about me with Logan? "

Paris just gave her that patented look with her hands on her hips. "So you are telling me that the rumors of you in a tiara announcing that you are dating Logan Huntzberger, the 3rd most eligible bachelor in Connecticut are completely false?"

"Why is he only the 3rd most eligible bachelor?" it slipped out despite her best intentions.

'Major plus points for his father and his family status keep him pretty high on the list but it is widely accepted that he just isn't marriage material right now, we are talking about the Logan Huntzberger wh wrecked his father's yacht in Fiji, one has to assume that he could conceivably have a love child in every country in the South Pacific by now. It would definitely take the right woman to tame that one. Now please tell me that you aren't applying for the job, he is way out of your league." Paris described him with alacrity, totally devoid of emotion.

Rory thought about that description for a moment and cringed inwardly when she realized that for once Paris was dead on in her analysis of Logan. How had she even gotten herself into this mess in the first place. She should have know that Paris would hear about the catastrophic party, Paris had ears everywhere. When Paris just continued with the look that had reduced many a grown man to tears she sighed and plopped down onto the couch with a resigned look.

"The rumor was factually correct but was actually an elaborate ruse to get me out of a mess of titanic proportions. I'll give you the condensed version. I met Logan the first time because Marty happens to bartend for him and a bunch of his friends...that time he didn't remember me.

Paris cut in impatiently looking at her watch "I have a bar mitzvah to attend in 20 minutes so stick to the important parts Gilmore, I am not asking for a complete re-enactment."

"We met the second time outside this very door when I was hanging your posters for Asher's wake. He and his friends were looking for some random girl and Logan and I ended up arguing. That was pretty much it until he showed up at the Daily News and then I figured out that he was linked to a group I was doing a story about so I approached him for help....I guess what they say is true, the path to hell is paved with good intentions."

Paris stopped her. "So you are telling me that Logan was your source for your Life and Death Brigade story?"

Rory rolled her eyes "Whatever happened to anonymity of the source?"

Paris jsut scoffed, "Oh come on Rory, you know in our social circle it is no secret that the Huntzbergers go way back in that club."

"Our circle? Since when am I a part of our?"

Paris gave her a look that suggested that perhaps she had been living under a rock, in Siberia for her first 20 years of life. "Please Rory, just because you grew in some little hick town surrounded by a population of retired circus freaks and small town folk doesn't mean that you don't carry the Gilmore legacy. Everyone knows the Gilmores go almost as far back as the Huntzbergers."

That was something to think about, it seemed this theme was being repeated a bit too often for comfort lately. She attempted quickly to get the derailed conversation back on track. "Do you want to hear the rest of this story of not?"

"Continue."

"I told you about that party that my grandparents were throwing for Yale alumni last weekend, well it turned out to be more of a fix Rory up with a trust fund boy type of party. Logan happened to be there and so we made a deal and he helped me out of the situation by pretending to be my boyfriend. That is pretty much the extent of the story."

Paris looked unconvinced "My keen journalistic sense is telling me that there are a few pertinent details missing from that recounting of events. What kind of deal did you make and what did this have to do with you breaking up with Farmer boy?"

Rory rolled her eyes "God you are like a bloodhound on a scent, what is this twenty questions? Okay, I may have left out a few details, in return for his aid I promised to play the fake girlfriend at a family event of his should the need arise. As for Dean, Logan ended up driving back to Stars Hollow with my mom and me..." she held up her hand to stop Paris before the interrogation began again. "don't ask, that is too convoluted to fit into your remaining 6 minutes. Anyway, Dean came into Luke's Diner and saw me there with Logan and got upset. We ended having a big blow out and deciding that it was best if we broke up. I think it was a long time coming anyway. So thats it, no mystery just a series of very strange coincidences."

"I don't believe in coincidence." Paris said in a curt tone glancing at her watch again. " but that is a converstaion for another day. In the meantime, I trust that you will let me know if there is any change in the status quo or any reason that I have to get new batteries for my noise cancelling head phones, Huntzberger looks like a screamer to me."

"I'll be sure to send you a memo." The line was said with a sarcastic edge but Paris, being Paris didn't bother to respond.

She was half out the door when she poked her head back in "About farmer boy, I think it was for the best. He didn't make you happy anymore."

Rory walked into her room and fell onto the bed with Paris' words still echoing in her head. Paris was a pain in the butt most of the time but every now and then she said something that let you know an actual human resided in that spitfire shell.

The phone rang and she reached for it without raising her head from the pillow, her mothers voice greeted her "How is my little hermit? Did you survive the required wallowing period without making yourself sick from too much Ben and Jerry's and too much Meg Ryan?"

"Yeah, yeah, I will survive. There was a close call halfway through Sleepless in Seattle but I pulled through."

"Thats my girl. So, anything new with the Big mac? How was the ride back to Yale, was there shades of When Harry Met Sally? He struck me as a Harry kind of guy...just tell me you didn't re-enact the orgy scene from the deli."

Rory groaned "Not you too...what is it with you people today, was there a national bulletin issued or something that named today the official opening day of the Rory Inquisition. I am beginning to seriously consider tlocking myself in my room, turning off my phone and hibernating until college is over. Do you think that my teachers would let me do all my assignments by email?"

"I don't know kid...doesn't seem like the greatest plan to me, you might need to go to the bathroom and shower once in a while. Plus, there is no coffee in there."

"Hey the way I figure it I will just develop a nice boy repellant smell. That should go a long way to solving my problems anyway. I'll just saw a little hole in my door and bribe Paris to bring me coffee, its a fool proof plan.'

"Okay kiddo, just let me know before you start sending out treatises on the evil of computers or talking to volleyballs so I can notify the FBI."


	13. Guinness and Blondes

Chapter 13: Guinness and Blondes 

She was avoiding him, he was sure of it.

It had been over a week since she had stormed out of the newsroom and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since. It wasn't that they had seen each other all that much before but they usually managed to cross paths at the paper or randomly at one of the various coffee kiosks on campus. Now, all of a sudden, nothing. Days went by where he saw no sign of life at her desk at the paper...it was like she had vanished off the face of the earth.

It irked him that he even noticed.

She had been good for some entertainment but, as she was so fond of pointing out, it wasn't as if they were even friends.

It unsettled him that he wondered about her, about how she was feeling after the break up, about what she was doing right now and who she was doing it with.

He was edgy which was unusual for him; rarer still was the fact that the edginess originated with a girl.

He snapped himself out of his little daydream with irritation and tried to focus on the books in front of him. Midterms were looming and he figured that studying was as good a way as any to burn off this excess energy. Thirty minutes later he slammed the book closed in frustration...he just couldn't seem to focus on anything tonight. It was Friday night, he didn't want to study , he wanted to do something to get Rory Gilmore off his mind once and for all.

The phone rang and he picked it up to hear his father's secretary at the other end. He was being summoned to the palace for an obligatory cocktail party, great this night just kept geting better and better. He was itching to call in his marker with Rory, why not kill two birds with one stone? He had just picked up the phone to dial information for her number when he recalled the specifics of the deal, he had promised 48 hours notice, he slammed the phone down with a curse. Damn it, this night was just going to hell in a hand basket. He stormed out of his room ready for battle.

Finn was dressed when he opened the door, which was a blessing; Finn had a slightly inconvenient habit of wandering about his suite in various states of undress. Logan scanned his outfit and threw open his closet, he grabbed a tie and a jacket throwing it at Finn as he said tersely " Come on, we are going out."

Finn knew better than to argue with Logan when he had that treacherous look in his eye. Something had Logan in lather and he would lay his bets on that little reporter. A wicked gleam lit his eyes; Friday night was looking up.

He caught up to Logan as he stood pounding impatiently on another door halfway down the corridor. An irritated Colin finally answered the door. He took one look at Logan and turned around to go back to his desk with an air of annoyance cloaking him.

"You know some of us have to study Logan. There are those pesky little things called midterms coming up. What do you want anyway? Did you run out of your little girl toys to play with?"

Finn saw Logan's eyes go to dangerous slits and just sighed as he dropped down on the couch to watch the fireworks. Logan and Colin were always at each other's throats, it had been part of their friendship since grade school.

Colin was always the grouchy old man of their trio and Logan loved to push is buttons. Logan was spoiling for an argument anyway so he figured if Colin was going to oblige him he might as well take advantage of the situation. He insolently pushed aside a book with his hip and sat on the edge of the desk.

"Now Colin, stop being such a cantankerous old man, you and I both know that you will do fine on those midterms whether you take tonight off or not. Besides, its not like it matters anyway since your dad is too busy off planning his next wedding to notice something as insignificant as his son's grades."

Finn sucked in an audible breath; Logan must really be on tear tonight if he was opening the game with that low a blow. Even Colin who was used to these little verbal scuffles widened his eyes slightly as he glanced askance at Finn. Finn shrugged his shoulders to indicate his ignorance.

For this first time since he entered Colin took a good look at his friend. There was definitely something off with him. Logan could be intense but usually he wasn't mean spirited. Right now he looked nasty enough to take a good chunk out of anything that got in his way.

"What is eating at you? You have been in a snitty mood all week. If you were a girl I would have to ask if it were that time of the month."

Logan gave a little self-deprecating snort at that, he couldn't really argue with the observation, it didn't look like Colin was going to be a good punching bag tonight after all. He chose the easier explanation.

"I got a summons from the parental units, my presence was requested at some last minute shindig tonight. So I figured I would spread the misery around a little, you two, being my best mates got chosen as the likely victims."

He had to laugh when he heard Finn's muttered remark. "Lucky us."

An hour later Logan was convinced that time had actually come to a complete stand still. He pasted an insincere smile on his face as another boring society matron leered at him as she described her charming niece in excruciating detail. His eyes darted around the crowded room and he snorted in disgust when he confirmed that neither Finn nor Colin was anywhere to be seen. He would be his last dollar he knew exactly where to find them. He politely excused himself and went in search of his two lost cronies.

As expected the raucous laughter led the way. When he rounded the corner into the billiards room he rolled his eyes at the scene that greeted him. He saw Colin first, grinning wickedly amidst a group of well dressed young men, refugees from the liquor washed war room in the parlor. As his eyes landed on the objects of their fascination he groaned but couldn't help a chuckle.

It was even worse than he feared. Finn had apparently lost a bet of some sort, or at least he hoped there was a bet involved and was dancing buck-naked with one of the maids atop the pool table singing Frank Sinatra. He probably should have been the responsible one and put a stop to the whole nonsense, like his brother would have done but he was in a rebellious mood and in dire need of a good laugh. Taking a place leaning against one wall he settled in to watch the show. He snatched a bottle of scotch from Colin's hand and took a swig hissing as the liquor burned down his esophagus. Things were never boring with Finn around.

He was cheering Finn on to a second song when everyone around him froze with horrified expressions on their faces. The voice behind was filled with censure and his spine stiffened as he turned towards the doorway.

"Logan, may I have a word with you."

He followed his father into the study without a word and waited while the door snicked closed behind them.

"Logan, what explanation do you have for that display of debauchery in there?" the words were cutting and the brown eyes, identical to his own, were cold as they waited for an answer.

"We were just having a little fun dad. I don't see how it harmed anyone. You know Finn he is always looking for a new stage to perform on." He almost cracked a smile but maintained his mask of indifference.

"Lets leave your friend out of this for the moment. I am appalled at your behavior tonight. What if it had been one of the guests that wandered in to that little peep show? Your mother would have been mortified. I know you are happy throwing your own reputation down the drain but I am disgusted that you have stooped to drag your mother and my good name through the gutter with you. You disappoint me son."

Logan looked his father straight in the eye and retorted in kind, two could play at this game. "What's new dad? How is tonight any different than any of the other million times that you have called me on the carpet and told me how I just don't live up to your standards? I'm not Nicholas, I am not the perfect clone of you and that means I will never be good enough. Well, dad, that's fine with me, I look at you and I don't see anything worth looking up to."

He turned on his heel and wrenched the door open. "You can't have it both ways dad, either you want me here at these little social show and tells pretending to be something I am not or you don't. Just make up your mind so I don't have to waste my time."

He barely slowed as he stormed back to the billiards room, most of the group had scattered and Finn was mostly dressed. "Come on, lets get out of here." His voice didn't brook argument and Colin and Finn scrambled behind him as he headed for the car.

When they were in the car Finn turned to him and cocked an eyebrow..."So am I going to be tarred and feathered?" Logan laughed, leave it to Finn to break the tension.

"Nah, I wouldn't worry about your Aussie skin if I were you, I think my father is saving the medieval torture for me." His voice was bitter and Colin and Finn quickly took the hint.

Colin was the next to speak. "Where to next intrepid leader?"

Logan rolled his shoulders in a vain attempt to release some of the built up tension. "I say we give that Guinness and Blondes theory of Finn's another try, I may have been too hasty in my dismissal before. '

They grinned at one another as they pulled into the parking lot of their favorite Irish pub. Connor's was a regular haunt for the threesome and they greeted the bartender and several waitresses as they headed for their customary table in the back section of the room. The first round of Guinness was on the table almost before they sat down and they happily settled into their seats and all three scanned the room, scoping out the prospects.

Finn turned his attention back to Logan figuring now was as good a time as any to ease into conversation. "I personally like the red heads but I'll tell you that little blonde over there by the bar is looking quite promising." He sent a wink at the girl before nudging Logan.

"Hey there's a cute little brunette over there by the band, looks kind of like that little reporter of yours, might be right up your alley.

Logan's head snapped up before he could stop the motion and he regarded Finn through suspicious eyes. Finn's look was inoffensive and he wrote it off to his own paranoia, although you could never tell with Finn.

He decided to play it off "What reporter?"

He hadn't actually told them the whole story about the party and the deal yet so he stuck with a feigned look of confusion. Finn might have fallen for it is he hadn't known Logan for years. Logan was a master at hiding his reactions but Finn knew where to look and he caught the clenched jaw, the quick narrowing of the eyes.

He pushed a little further teasing him now "You know, the reporter that you jumped off the scaffolding with, the one you held hands with, you seemed pretty friendly with her at the Life and Death Brigade gig."

Logan continued his ignorant ploy "Who Gilmore? I was just doing her a favor, you never know when it might pay off to have a member of the press owe you a favor."

Colin suddenly caught on to the game when he noticed the tension at the table rise a notch. He gave Finn a questioning look but he played along curious now to see his friend's reaction.

Finn continued, "Well in that case she's fair game, Rory Gilmore looks like just the kind of girl who needs someone like me, someone to loosen her up and teach her how to have a good time. That one has got a mouth on her and I bet once you get little miss prim and proper a little relaxed she would be a hellion."

Colin countered with a stern look "She is a looker, I'll give you that, but a little innocent for Logan's taste or yours for that matter don't you think Finn. She seems like the type that would go for someone more studious, like me."

Logan scoffed but Finn caught the white knuckled grip on the beer stein, he sighed dramatically when he delivered his piece de resistance "Sadly I think we are both too late, I saw her just the other day with that bartender chap of hers and they seemed pretty cozy." He shook his head in mock consternation "I guess its no surprise, a girl like that wasn't going to be on the open market long."

Logan could feel his blood pressure rising as he glanced from one friend to the other and had to take a deep breath to stop the urge to bash their heads together, he had to get out of here quick.

Forcing his emotions under control he gave them a toothy smile and said in a voice that neither of them believed for a second "I think the bartender is just a friend so she's all yours boys, now I am going to leave your little pissing contest and go spend some quality time with that little red head over there." He was up and walking towards the bar before either of them could respond.

Finn turned and looked at Colin who looked perplexed. "Okay, I played along now explain what all that was about. If I didn't know better I would think that Logan was about a breath away from punching one or both of us."

Finn gave a wicked laugh "You aren't wrong my friend. That was just a little test and I think that our little Logan failed it with flying colors. It will be interesting to see how things play out."

Logan didn't usually drink that much but tonight he figured he needed a little mind numbing normality. Good beer, good company, good old-fashioned fun that didn't come with his fathers disapproval or any confusing emotional entanglements. He glanced around the crowded bar again as he signaled the waitress for a refill. His eyes landed again on the cute red head across the room who was giving him a suggestive come hither look, after a few minutes of coy eye contact she crooked a finger at him.

Time to get back into the swing of things, he thought with delight as he headed across the bar. He dropped gracefully down on a chair beside the red head and leaned forward "Hey beautiful, you beckoned?" she practically purred under his attention and they fell into an easy flirtation.

He had lost count of the beers he had consumed and wasn't entirely sure if he remembered his own name by the time he and the red head staggered for the door.

He was a little blurry eyed as he stumbled into a body and grabbed a chair to catch his balance. When he was finally able to make out the features of the person blocking his path he cursed his luck. It was the bartender himself...what was his name again; he could practically hear Rory saying it in that mocking voice.

"Sorry. Marty, isn't it." He held out a hand "How are you, I guess you must be feeling pretty good considering that you got the girl."

He wasn't sure what was coming out of his mouth since his brain had apparently lost all voluntary control of his words several beers back. He squinted to make out Marty's face and he regretted it instatntly because he wanted nothing more than to wipe that high and mighty look off the other boy's face.

"I guess she has a thing for tall, dark and destitute, you must feel proud being the rebound guy and all."

Marty's face had gone dangerous now and Finn who had been watching the scene from across the room suddenly noted his fists clench at his sides.

"You know Huntzberger, guys like you are all the same, you think that you can treat people like crap just because of who your father is. Now, I don't really care what you think of me but you really are drunk if you think that I am going to stand by and let you treat my friend that way. Rory has never done anything to you and now you are standing here slandering her name for no reason. If you weren't currently draped over some red headed slut I would think that you had a thing for her. Too bad for you that she is too smart to ever get involved with a spoiled child like you."

Logan snapped and launched himself at Marty already swinging.

Luckily Marty was a lot less inebriated and easily side stepped the attack only getting clipped slightly on the jaw as Colin and Finn rushed to restrain Logan.

Marty just looked at him with disdain "I hope Rory sees what you really are, a spoiled little boy who throws a tantrum whenever he doesn't get things handed to him on a silver platter."

When Logan raised bleary eyes to survey the scene he realized that the red head was long gone. Finn and Colin propped him in a chair and he dropped his head to the table trying to clear the

haze of blood lust that had obscured his vision. He had done a lot of crazy things in his life but he had never felt so out of control over a girl. It was official the night was a disaster.

"I would like to revise my previous statement." he slurred with his head still lying on his hands "Guinness and brunettes definitely don't mix."


	14. The Morning After

Chapter 14: The Morning After

It was Saturday morning and Rory was only on her third cup of coffee so she felt that she was not fully prepared for a full dose of Paris' paranoia about the geriatric set.

Paris was in fine form this morning and it definitely didn't sit too well with eggs and bacon, maybe she needed some pancakes to help it go down easier...what was it Mary Poppins always said about a spoonful of sugar?

She mumbled something to Paris about more coffee and escaped the table leaving her companion casting furtive looks at the faculty table at the far end of the room.

She was just soaking her pancakes in syrup when she bumped into Marty, ah, just the distraction she needed.

"Marty" she exclaimed with perhaps a bit more excitement than the occasion warranted, she latched on to his arm and began to drag him back towards the table ignoring his puzzled look.

"Hey Paris, look who I found, you don't mind if he eats with us do you?"

Paris looked up glumly "Hey Naked Guy." Then she brightened ,she grabbed his arm and pulled him down to the seat across from her where Rory had been sitting "Sit here, that way you will block their view and I can eat in peace at last, Thumbelina over here does me no good as a screen."

Rory plopped down next to Paris with a grin and rolled her eyes at Marty.

Marty leaned forward and asked in a stage whisper "Have the men from the institution finally found you?"

Paris glared and huffed "Har har, funny, I think I liked you better when you were naked and wearing Rory's robe. If you must know I am being stalked."

Marty glanced around now with a hint of concern. "Really? Do you know who it is?"

"Only most of the English Department and the Poly Sci department. I should just transfer now before they start following me home like puppy dogs."

Rory laughed at Marty's baffled look and made a looney tunes motion behind Paris. Then she noticed a slight bruise on Marty's jaw and sobered quickly.

"Hey, what happened to your face? Are you all right?"

Marty flushed and dropped his head focusing his attention on his pancakes as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "Oh, that, its nothing important. It's just a little bruise, I'm sure it will be gone by tomorrow. Just a by product of a little pre-midterm relaxation gone wrong."

His evasiveness had her radar up "What do you mean nothing important.? I'm not an expert on the subject but I believe that I am safe in saying that it is a little difficult to get a bruise on your jaw by doing nothing."

"It was just a little misunderstanding fueled by a few too many alcoholic beverages."

Her voice rose in surprise "You got in a bar fight? With who?" Despite the circumstances of their initial encounter Rory knew that Marty wasn't really a big partier and it was impossible to picture him in the middle of a bar room brawl.

He waved a hand in dismissal but he still wouldn't meet her eyes "Don't worry about it, it was drunk guy who got upset about a girl and we had a few words."

Paris finally dragged her attention away from the old men across the room "What guy?" she asked in a stern tone, there was something more to this story than he was telling.

He glanced up at the faces of the two girls across from him and realized there was no way they were letting him out of telling the story. "Logan" he mumbled around a bite of pancake.

Rory didn't understand him the first time but Paris caught it and gave Rory a funny look as she queried him. "Logan Huntzberger?"

Rory's eyes narrowed at the name and she said in an incredulous tone. "You got in a bar fight with Logan Huntzberger? There has got to be more to the story. Please explain."

Marty really did not want to have this conversation but he was stuck now, damn, he knew he should have skipped breakfast this morning.

"Like I said, it was just a difference of opinion. Logan was drunk and he made some stupid comments about a girl I know, I reacted and insulted him back and then he tried to punch me. Luckily he was too drunk to see straight so he only clipped me." He shrugged as it to say end of story "In fact I'm sure that Logan is feeling a lot worse this morning than I am given the quantity of alcohol he consumed."

Rory was sure there was more to the story but she wasn't sure how to get to the bottom of it, fortunately while she was pondering what the next question might be Paris cut right to the heart of the matter. "Who was the girl?"

Ah,now there was the rub, Marty thought frantically for a minute but couldn't find a way out of the corner he was in. He grimaced as he said it quietly "Rory."

Rory was half out of her seat "What?! What the hell are you talking about? You are telling me that you got into a barfight with Logan about me? Why would he do that? Why would you do that."

Paris pulled her back into her seat "Hey Fido take the voice down an octave before you break all the glassware. Maybe before you go skin boat boy we should get the whole story."

Rory was seething inside but she knew Paris was right. She looked expectantly at Marty. As he told the story she could practically feel her blood boiling in her veins.

How could he say those things about her, about Marty. She had trusted him enough that she had thought he would keep the thing with Dean to himself and he had betrayed her. Not to mention the fact that he had tried to punch her friend.

The Logan she knew seemed like the Captain Jack character in Pirates of the Caribbean, a little crazy, a little wily and always in search of an adventure but she hadn't pegged him as the violent type.

This whole thing seemed totally out of character for him but she couldn't deny the evidence that was staring her in the face. Her first impression of him had obviously been wrong and everything she had seen since had just been some suave game he played to suck her in to his crazy world. Well she was going to put a stop to it right now.

She had heard enough and she rose from the table with a steely look in her eyes. Paris stopped her with a hand on the arm "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, a quick death is too good for him, I'm thinking torture, slow, methodical, painful. I'll come up with a fitting punishment, right now I think I should just go have a little chat with his royal highness."

Paris and Marty watched her walk away every muscle in her body radiating anger, then Marty turned an looked at Paris a little wide eyed "Remind me never to get on Gilmore's bad side."

Paris watched her roommate thoughtfully as she vanished from sight "What do you think this was really all about?"

Marty looked up and contemplated for a second "I think he has a thing for her but he won't admit it, or he is scared of it....I'm not sure which but a guy doesn't get that riled up over some girl he hardly knows unless there is something more to it. That's my humble opinion, I don't like it but there it is."

Paris cocked her head consideringly "You like Rory don't you" I'm surprised I didn't see it before. Are you going to do anything about it?"

Marty sighed, sometimes Paris was too inquisitive for her own good. "Yeah, I like her but I am pretty sure she doesn't look at me like that. She is a good friend and I would rather stick with that."

He was dreaming of Rory Gilmore, it was a good dream and the happy feeling lasted until he came to the surface of consciousness. Then reality hit him like a sledge-hammer or maybe WITH a sledge-hammer was a more accurate description.

Logan woke to an insistent pounding. He had no recollection of how he had arrived home but through bleary eyes he recognized the contours of his bedroom. He was laying face down on top of his bed in a puddle of drool and he still wearing all his clothes, including his shoes. He was fairly certain that there was a horde of tap dancing demons in stilletto heels merrily reducing his grey matter to unrecognizable mush.

It took him a moment of painful concentration to realize that the pounding on the door was indeed separate from the pounding in his head. He twitched a muscle experimentally but quickly subsided the movement when it set off a cascade of aches, clearly whatever angry mob had dragged him here had not been kind in their treatment. Maybe if he just played dead the evil knocker would eventually give up and go away.

Sadly, the gods were not with him and the knocking continued, growing louder and more impatient. He sent a silent prayer to whatever gods might still be on his side that they might prevent his head from actually falling off at his feet and his eyes from being shrivelled to raisins by the blinding light.

He slowly pushed himself to a sitting position and rose unsteadily until he stood swaying on his feet. He clamped one hand above his eyes to block the stabbing sunlight that was creeping through the curtains. Taking a shaky step forward he lurched towards the door, his entire being motivated by one goal...stop the pounding.

He fumbled with the lock and finally managed to pull it open before he sagged against the door jam. He wrinkled his forehead in confusion at the form that greeted his eyes. He took in the sight before him racking what was left of his brain for an explanation of what would bring Rory Gilmore to his door on a Saturday morning. She looked fresh and beautiful and if the venomous look in her eyes was any indication, absolutely furious.

A lazy half memory floated to the surface of his mind, something about the bartender and Rory, but it was gone before he could grasp it.

She started in before he could even think of a suitable welcome "You arrogant, self important ass, how dare you treat my friend that way."

At a loss he said the first thing that came to his enfeebled brain "Good Morning." It came out hoarse and finished on a grunt as her hand connected with his chest and pushed him back into the room. Fearing for his balance he fell into chair as he watched through one half open eye as she paced the room.

"Good morning, GOOD MORNING? That is all you have to say after your reprehensible behavior last night. I had a little visit with Marty this morning who I might add looks a hell of a lot better than you despite a bruise on his jaw. Geez, you really look terrible. "

He wasn't catching most of her tirade but suddenly something clicked, "Marty, your friend Marty?"

She stopped mid-sentence and looked at him with her mouth agape, her eyes snapping with outrage "Yes, my Friend Marty, the one who bartends for you, the one you tried to assault last night. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He scratched his head trying to scrounge the details out of the caleidoscope of blurred colors that made up most of his memories from last night.

"I punched your friend Marty?" He sounded almost incredulous and Rory would have laughed if she wasn't so livid about the whole thing.

The ironic words popped out before she could stop the "Actually you just tried to punch him and missed."

He put his head in his hands, he was beginning to think that his brain cells had the right idea, this was clearly a recollection that was best left buried.

Rory took a good look at Logan slumped on the couch, she had been so completely floored when she had heard Marty's tale that she hadn't even thought twice about charging over here to skin him alive.

She had told Logan once before that she didn't like seeing her friends get hurt and this was even worse because this was personal, this was about her. She didn't even know where he had gotten his ridiculous accusations but she had been ready to blister him with a scorching commentary on just what she thought of his deluded life.

The anger was still there but he looked so abjectly miserable right now that she couldn't help but pity him. Besides, he clearly wasn't absorbing much of her monologue at the moment. She decided that she would just come back later after he had a little time to really revel in his misery and remorse.

"You are pathetic, you aren't even worth wasting my breath right now. However, you had better know this, I do not tolerate people who mess with my friends so don't even bother coming near me again unless you are on your knees begging forgiveness."

She turned and stalked towards the door only turning when her hand touched the knob "and maybe you should take a shower because let me tell you right now you could be mistaken for a half dead corpse that someone dragged in off the trash heap."

The door slammed behind her and the noise made him wince in pain. He slumped down on the couch and tried to think about what she had said but his synapses weren't firing fast enough to make sense of the jumble of words and memories yet so he slid back happily into oblivion.

Things weren't looking much better when he woke up the second time, now he had added a sore neck and an audience of two to his list of problems.

He heard Finn whisper in a fake announcers voice "This is very exciting folks, I think that we are about to see a historic moment in the making, the mystery creature that is inhabiting Logan's couch appears to be waking up."

Colin appeared to his left and held a divine offering out to him...water and aspirin, like manna from the gods.

He struggled to a stitting position and regretted it instantly as he peered at his two compatriots.

He downed the full glass of water before he spoke "Okay, I have to ask, did either of you even put up a fight before you abandoned me to the barbarian hordes last night?"

Finn gasped "Me thinkst the creature doth speak. Could it be that this Mr. Hyde is really our lost friend Logan?"

Fragments of time were coming back to him now, flashes of the bar, of Marty and of Rory....oh damn, Rory.

"So, uh, guys, I had a little visit from our intrepid reporter friend this morning and I was a bit incapacitated and lacking a few key details, but I do remember a few things she yelled and unless I intend to move to Antarctica and change my name I had better get my story straight. Care to fill in a few of the missing pieces?"

Colin got the honors on this one, he had been practicing. "It was a classic saga of star crossed love, heros and dragons and a great battle for the love of a beautiful damsel."

Logan could see where this was going and cut him off "I can tell it is an epic story, care to enlighten me as to my part in this little fairy tale?"

Colin sighed tragically "Ah, well, sadly you would be the dragon in this one and lets just say the dragon's fire was doused with a little too much liquid courage." Finn chortled from his seat.

Logan waved his hand in surrender. "I can't take anymore right now. I am glad that I am providing the two of you with such a plethora of entertainment but now I think I should take a shower before we have to fumigate the suite. Then we'll go to breakfast" he glanced at the wall clock "okay, lunch and you can regale me with the full horror of my stupidity."

As he staggered to his feet his two so called friends regarded him with jovial grins. He just shook his head at them in disgust as he headed for the bathroom.

It was under the spray of the shower that scenes from the previous night began to take full shape in his mind. He leaned his head against the tile groaning as he recalled his nonsensical actions....what the hell had gotten into him?

Suddenly the epiphany hit, the happiness when she had seemed jealous of Darcy, the edginess of the last week, the irrational irritation with the bartender, all the pieces fit into place and the picture that was left was Rory.

He was falling for Rory Gilmore.

He stood under the pounding water for a whole minute speechless. Then he mentally slapped himself upside the head. All this ridiculous denial and confusion weren't doing him one bit of good.

So what if he had never fallen for a girl before, it couldn't be that difficult to do it right. Clearly this past week or two he had been going about things all wrong.

He was Logan Huntzberger, he could do anything, get anything if he set his mind to it. Until now he had been muddling about unsure of his objectives but now he had a clear goal. He wanted Rory Gilmore.

He was feeling very pleased with this decision until an image of her fuming face and scathing words from this morning flashed into his mind. Okay, maybe he needed a little help from the troops but he could get past this little obstacle. It would be a challenge but that just made it more interesting, he was confident he could overcome anything with the right plan of attack.

Tomorrow would begin a whole new game.


	15. The Lost Art of Apologies

Ch 15: The Lost Art of Apologies 

Rory was beginning to regret coming back to campus for the weekend. After the weekly Friday night dinner had degenerated into bickering and single syllable replies that reflected the residual tension from the catastrophic cocktail party she had thought, naively, that getting back to campus and throwing herself into midterm studying would be the right distraction.

Rory did not consider studying to be a group activity. By halfway through Saturday afternoon she was beginning to feel like she was in the middle of a cocktail hour at the library. Apparently some of the usually sane inhabitants had spent too much time sniffing old book fumes. She was sure she didn't have a sign on her head that said free advice when she left the dorm earlier but everyone here seemed to see it nonetheless.

She figured that she really ought to start tapping those scarlet shoes together and escape from Oz as soon as possible in case it was contagious.

There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...unless of course your married ex-ex-ex-boyfriend still lived there. She wasn't really sure that was the correct number of exes and it was a little cumbersome to repeat so she decide that he could be referred to as the ex cubed in perpetuity.

After 3 hours of inane conversation, wailing freshmen and gnashing teeth she bit the bullet and headed for home. It was the lesser of two evils.

She let out a sigh of relief when she pulled her car up to the front of Luke's Diner and breathed in the heady smell of grease and coffee.... home sweet home.

She paused for a minute in front of the picture windows when she saw her mom leaning across the counter with a silly grin on her face obviously flirting with the blushing Luke who was half embarrassed but clearly enjoying himself. It was so great to finally see her mom happy, truly happy, surrounded by the carefree, childlike joy that made Lorelei Gilmore the magnetic woman she was.

She felt a little pang; she only hoped that someday she would find that kind of feeling. Neither Jess nor Dean had turned out to be the person who could give her that but she figured she would find it eventually.

She turned toward the door and ran smack into the ex cubed...speak of the devil and he will appear.

He looked as shocked at the meeting as she was. She had known it was inevitable she just hadn't expected it quite this soon.

"Hi Dean." She said hesitantly "How are you."

He smiled awkwardly "I'm okay, been busy with work, Taylor is already stocking his holiday supplies." He paused "I've been talking to Lindsay again."

Rory tried to picture him with Lindsay again and it didn't hurt nearly as much as it once had. "That's good Dean, I'm happy that you are working on things with her."

A bouncing Korean girl popped out of the diner just in the knick of time and broke the awkward silence that stretched between them. "Rory, I didn't know you were coming this weekend. How are you? It seems like we haven't talked in ages, I didn't even get to tell you about my mother cursing Zach with hell demons."

Lane thrust her arm through Rory's "Hi Dean. Sorry to interrupt, its just I haven't seen our girl in so long." She beamed at Rory.

Dean cleared his throat awkwardly "Uh, yeah, well I've gotta go anyway, Tom needs me out at the inn to fix a stair tread. Bye Rory, Lane I'm sure I will see you around."

Lane watched him leave with a bewildered look on her face before turning back to her friend. "Okay, that was awkward. Did I miss something?"

Rory had been so busy lately that she hadn't gotten a chance to tell Lane about the whole mess with Dean and Logan and the wife auction.

She sighed and turned towards the diner. "Its a long story, I need sustenance to make it through, lets get some coffee and fries and I'll start at the beginning."

----

It was the penultimate plan.

After Colin and Finn got over the shock of his shower epiphany and his plan for setting out with them in tow to conquer unknown lands they decided it was best just to go along with the plot.

It was hard to argue logically with a lunatic. Besides they figured Logan was always good for a vicarious adventure and it never failed to be amusing from the peanut gallery.

The beauty of the plan was its subtlety. Why charge in with the armed brigades when you could ambush the target and come away with half the casualties? Logan smiled as he picked up his phone to set the plan in motion.

Rory got back to campus late on Sunday and organized all her notes before setting her alarm for 7 am figuring that she could squeeze in one last quick review before her 8 am exam.

She woke abruptly out of a sound sleep the next morning and glancing at the clock she realized that it was only 6:45, her alarm hadn't gone off yet. Still disoriented she tried to place what had woken her. Suddenly she noticed a flashing light that periodically illuminated her room. It appeared to be coming from the direction of the window.

Rolling to face the window she was jolted out of the remaining haze of sleep by the sight that greeted her. Across the expanse of her window was written in twinkling white Christmas lights FORGIVE ME. She stared bemused at this bizarre displayed until she heard a knock on the door of the suite.

Before she could extract herself from the warm bed she heard Paris' shrill voice. "Rory, the boat wrecker is here."

She groaned as she slid her feet into her slippers, what now? She shuffled out to the main room pulling on her robe as she went.

Paris looking like she was dressed for a DAR meeting at 6:45 am sent her a glare and gestured to the open door where Rory could see a grinning Logan.

"Maybe you should let Don Juan over there know about your sleeping habits so I don't have to be your butler at this time of morning."

"I see you have your happy face on already this morning Gellar." she quipped back, there was a reaosn they usually didn't exchange words in the morning.

"Just get rid of the WASP Gilmore, I've got studying to do and I have no patience for cutesy stuff." She stomped past her into her room and slammed the door with a resounding thud.

Logan gave Rory a questioning look "Your roommate I take it. Lovely girl, sort of Lizzie Bordenesque, gives new meaning to the term battle axe."

Rory considered Logan with a less than friendly expression on her face. She raked him with a hard unforgiving stare "I see you lived." Her tone implied that this was not a pleasant turn of events.

He had never anticipated that she would give in without a fight so he smoothly ignored the well aimed barb "Why Ace, I've missed you too, and your concern is touching but as you can see I have indeed recovered from my little bout of infirmity."

"Too bad for the rest of us. I just hope idiocy isn't catching." She said as she crossed her arms, not giving an inch.

"Touché. Ace." He put on his most sympathetic face "I take it you aren't at your best before caffeine, although I must compliment you one your charming ensemble this morning"

Rory looked down at her plaid flannel pants, pink bunny slippers and bright purple robe and gave an inelegant snort. "Luckily there is no one here that I care to impress with my fashionable wardrobe choices. What do you want beer boy?"

Logan couldn't help a chuckle "Ah, I see the pleasantries have ended. Well, on to business then. I take it you received the first part of my message.' He glanced at her face but held in a smile at her even stare "I have come in person bearing offerings of peace."

With a flourish he knelt in front of the door and presented a box tied with red ribbon and two cups of coffee.

She could see through the bow that the box held a new coffee maker.... damn him for knowing her weaknesses. Well, he wouldn't win this easily.

"Let me get this straight, you think that you can buy my forgiveness?"

He smiled sheepishly but she knew it was all an act "Can't hurt to try, just consider this a down payment."

She almost laughed but managed a straight face when she remembered Marty's story. "It is unethical to bribe the press."

Turning smartly she slammed the door in his smirking face.

She had taken two steps when she reconsidered her actions, she opened the door to his still smiling face and grabbed the two cups of coffee, when he cocked his eyebrow at her she simply stated "Its also unethical to let innocent cups of coffee be put to death just because of guilt by association" she gave him a smirk of her own and slammed the door in his face again.

She rolled her shoulders in victory. That had felt damn good, nothing like a good verbal battle to start the morning off right. She took a long sip of the liquid heaven and sighed. She would have to give him credit for good taste in coffee.

Strike 1 for Huntzberger. Logan blinked at the wood paneled door as he considered the exchange. No doubt he had lost the skirmish but damn the battle was going to be fun. He got up, brushed off his knees and walked away humming the theme to Mission Impossible.

----

Midterms week was drawing to an end when Rory wearily dragged herself into the newspaper office. She had one last paper to turn in and a test left that afternoon and then she figured she would drop into a coma like state for at least a 48-hour period. She just needed to retrieve a book she had left in her desk and she would be on her way.

She stopped dead in her tracks in front of her desk and thought there was a fair to good chance that she was hallucinating the figure currently sitting with his feet up on HER desk.

She simply did not have the patience for more of his shenanigans right now. She had been awakened every morning this week by his coffee deliveries. Fortunately he had gotten smarter after the first day and sent a variety of messengers in his place. The funniest one had been Tuesday when she had found Finn lying prostrate on the ground outside the door, complete with dark sunglasses and a note pinned to his chest that said 'Don't kill the messenger.' She had to give him points for originality on that one.

She tried to remain unmoved by his ingratiating charm, crossing her arms she looked pointedly at her desk and then across the room at his. "Perhaps your 'infirmity' managed to scramble a bit more grey matter than was healthy because you seem to have ended up at the wrong desk. An honest mistake I am sure but I would really appreciate it if you would try to isolate your footprints to your own computer monitor, seeing as it does nothing but collect dust anyway. "

He gave her a lazy look as if he had all day for this conversation, "Having a bad day Ace?"

This was getting old fast and the minutes were ticking towards her last exam. She tapped her foot in irritation "Thanks to you Huntzberger it may have just reached an all time high. Care to go for the record or are can we call this round and be done with this little sparring contest?"

He clucked his tongue in reproach "Now Ace, what kind of thing is that to say to your most important source, and here I thought we were partners."

"Give it up Logan, that ship has sailed." Fed up with his nonsense she bent down and angrily pushed his leg aside to extract the book from her desk drawer.

His hand on her arm stopped her before she could rise to her feet. "I don't think so Ace, we still have plenty of distance to cover."

Her eyes locked with his for a heartbeat and she felt a little flutter in her chest.

Doyle broke the moment when he came charging past the desk waving a stack of messages in his hand chasing after a terrified looking first year.

She pulled her hand away and stood. She waited until the desk was safely between them to look back at him. "Since they don't give a diploma for being a smart ass I suggest you stop wasting your time and find something better to do than irritate me."

He watched her back as it vanished out the door. "I'm working on it Ace."


	16. Let the Games Begin

When one was preparing for battle it was best to study one's opponent from all angles to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Logan felt that he had developed a quality profile of one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore but she was proving harder to crack than expected. Fortunately pig headed determination wasn't the only weapon in his arsenal, he still had a few secrets.

Rory left a trail of over-clothes strewn from the front door to her bedroom. She noticed Paris sitting cross-legged in a corner of the common room but didn't even bother to ask the reason. She didn't have the energy to try to make sense of the explanation.

It was over...she had escaped the purgatory of midterms with most of her skin still intact, although her sanity was another story altogether. She was free; at least until finals week came to call like an unwelcome relative. She thought she could happily sleep for a week.

She dragged to her bedroom and pushed open the door but stopped dead as it swung open and revealed Logan sitting on her chair in the corner.

"Paris?! How could you let..." she squeaked but then trailed off when Logan held a silent finger to his lips and shook his head.

Paris didn't even open her eyes "Why are you talking to me Gilmore? Can't you see I am trying to meditate here. It's kind of hard to reach enlightenment with your little entourage always here asking me questions and waving food smells in my face ; I bet the Dali lama never had these constant of interruptions."

Rory glanced at Logan again and back at her roommate, apparently Paris had not been the culprit responsible for his unwelcome visit to her bedroom. She shivered, she didn't even want to think about how he had gotten in there. Some secrets were better left dormant if one wished to sleep at night without weird dreams of gorilla clad marauders attacking you during your REM cycle.

Closing her door she walked wearily to her bed and sat down, normally she would have stormed but she couldn't seem to muster the will.

"I didn't save up any energy for the tongue lashing that you deserve for breaking into my bedroom so I will assume that there is an explanation for your unsolicited presence. Make it quick though because the Land of Nod is calling my name."

'Have I come at a bad time?" he asked with false politeness, all innocent concern.

"There is no such thing as a good time when it involves you in my bedroom. Start talking or I can not promise that I won't throw etiquette out the window and fall asleep in the middle of the conversation.'

"I've never had a girl fall asleep on me yet.' He smirked suggestively.

"There is a always a first time for everything."

He just grinned. "I've come to make you a proposition."

That got her attention, she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear any proposition that he had to ambush her with in her bedroom.

"What, no clandestine emails or secret notices on the window? You're really slacking on this whole mysterious secret society thing."

He looked injured. "Are you saying there is no mystery left in our relationship?"

She waved her hand in exasperation ready to let her eyelids fall. "But you digress...."

"You look desperately in need of some beauty sleep so I will humor your impatience. In light of our recent falling out..." she snorted at this "no comments from the peanut gallery please, as I was saying, in light of our current situation I am here to propose a cease fire. My peace offering is an exclusive sequel to your first story, another event with the Life and Death Brigade, same conditions would apply. I could invoke the 'whenever, wherever' clause of our previous agreement but I will leave the decision up to you. If you do chose to go then I will consider it one marker paid in full."

There was something that didn't add up but her tired brain was having a rough time coming up with plausible ulterior motives. "What do you get out of it?"

He smiled at her winningly "The pleasures of your delightful company of course, what more could I want."

She didn't believe a word of it but she couldn't find a good loophole in his argument.

He rose gracefully from the chair and walked towards her. "I can see that you are working at half speed right now so I will take pity on you. If you choose to accompany us then be in your courtyard at 12 midnight tonight. There are only two stipulations, you have to wear all black and you have to trust me and agree not ask any more questions. Don't worry about packing anything else. There will be clothes to change into on the plane."

Her brain was computing slowly but it caught that detail "Plane? Did you just say plane?"

"Tsk, tsk Ace, what did I say about questions. If you want more details you will just have to be there at midnight."

He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it before she could so much as blink "Until then milady."

He sauntered towards the door with a bounce in his step and she felt the irrational urge to throw something at him.

When his hand hit the doorknob he turned back for a parting shot "I almost forgot, you will need this." He tossed something black towards her. "Oh, and you might want to bring a toothbrush...the pink bunnies are optional." He winked and he was gone, vanishing through the door.

She did a half dive; half stumble onto the bed and landed face first. She remained in this position and only managed a subdued eye roll when she heard a yelp from Paris. When the other girl charged into her room she just rolled her head to one side to look at her.

"How did Prince Charm-a-lot get into our dorm room and what exactly was he doing in your bedroom? Kind of stalkerish if you ask me, I would burn the sheets if I were you. "

"I don't know how he got in here, I was going to ask you the same thing but it seems like a moot question now. He came to proposition me...wait that didn't come out right. He offered me the chance to observe another event, for a story."

Paris considered this for a minute. "I don't trust him. You better watch yourself with that one. I've seen plenty of that type and they never do anything out of the good of their heart. You are a novice at this type of game and I would be careful going up against a pro like Logan. He's got that golden tongue, that could probably talk you into jumping off a cliff and then convince you that it was your idea."

Rory closed her eyes; Paris had come disturbingly close to the truth without even knowing all the details of the first Life and Death Brigade Event. Was she really that easy to manipulate?

"I haven't decided if I am going yet. Right now I just need sleep. We can talk about this later."

As Paris harrumphed and exited the room in a huff Rory's eyes landed on the object that Logan had thrown to her. Her hand reached out to absently stroke the silky black blindfold. She fell asleep with it clutched in her hand a dreamt of silver tongued devils and Gorillas in top hats.

She woke when her alarm clock went off and for a few groggy moments she couldn't recall why she had set it. Then her eyes landed on the blindfold in her hand and it all came back.

She shook her head to clear it of the last cobwebs of the dream world and then lay staring blindly at the ceiling while she considered her options. She couldn't believe she was even considering this.

On the one hand, she could just ignore the whole invitation and stick with her avoidance tactic, before the whole incident with Marty denial had been working quite well for her. She glanced back at the blindfold and the feeling of exhilaration that she had felt when she jumped off that tower with Logan came flooding back over her.

On the other hand this was actually a golden opportunity, if she took his offer at face value then this promised a sequel to her story and it also fit Logan's criteria for the second part of their infamous deal, the "whenever, wherever" event. Even if she ignored the fact that the idea of the adventure was a little bit enticing this was a chance to kill two birds with one stone. She would be nuts to turn it down. She grunted in disgust as she realized that was exactly what Logan had anticipated. He had given her an offer that she couldn't refuse. It was becoming an annoying habit of his to know her weaknesses better than she knew them herself.

She closed her eyes trying to think through the situation logically but she knew in her heart that the decision was already made. She glanced at the clock and realized that she had better get her act together if she was going to make the midnight deadline. She took a quick shower hoping the water would pound a little coherent function into her fried brain. Wrapped in towel she considered her wardrobe options, he had said black but hadn't specified if it was dressy. She went with the simple alternative, black turtleneck and black jeans. She felt a little like a cat burglar as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She took one last look at herself and took a deep breath. It was rock and roll time. She grabbed her messenger bag with her reporters' notebook and her toothbrush, as an after thought she threw in her pink bunny slippers.

When she exited her bedroom she found Paris smoking one of Asher's pipes and reading the New York Times.

She stopped in front of her and waited until Paris raised her head with a contemplative look. "Off to rob a bank Mary?"

She sighed " You know I hate that name Paris but I've got no time to quibble. I've gota clandestine rendezvous to get to. A reporter has to do what's necessary to get the story right?"

Paris just gave her a knowing look "Just be careful Gilmore, you are swimming with the sharks this time. A word of advice from a battle scarred veteran of the social brat pack, never let them see you bleed." Then she went back to her editorial section, apparently the discussion was over and she had imparted the last of her wisdom.

Rory didn't like the little jangle of nerves that comment set off but she was committed now. "I'll have my cell phone so don't let my mom call out the FBI if she can't get a hold of me."

She made it to the courtyard with barely a minute to spare and hurriedly tied on the blindfold. She had barely caught her breath when she felt a warm hand close over her arm.

A soft voice sounded near her ear and she instinctively turned towards it. "Glad you could make it Wendy. You are looking a little more lively than last time I saw you."

Her heart skipped a little but she spoke with false bravado "I wouldn't miss it Peter."

His laugh was low and it tickled her neck. "I didn't think you would. Come on the others are waiting."

Logan had watched from a dark alcove on the far side of the courtyard as Rory dashed into view. He walked towards her almost as soon as the blindfold was secured. About 10 feet away he stopped and allowed himself a selfish moment to drink her in without her awareness. She was still but he saw the hint of nerves as her fingers twisted together in front of her while she waited. He didn;t know what it was about her but she had some quality that always made her seem so alive, so glowing, even when she was irritated or angry at him he just enjoyed looking at her, watching the way her face mirrored her every thought. She took a deep breath and he echoed it as he stepped forward to set the night in motion.

He led her towards an SUV, his hand unconsciously falling at her waist to help her up into the vehicle. With the blindfold on it was like her other senses were magnified and she felt a warm tingling spread over her back where his hand rested.

She heard the door slam and then noticed other voices in the car. Craning her neck to make out their locations she laughed as she recognized Finn's distinctive voice behind her.

"So, we meet again my sweet." Rory kind of liked Finn's goofy charm so she answered him with a friendly quip in the direction she thought he sat.

"You sound less vampire like than last time."

"I consider the night hours to be my finest. I only hit my peak after the witching hour so to speak. If you are lucky you will be around to witness the transformation this time around. Only be warned, I am irresistible."

He was so ridiculous that Rory found him kind of endearing, he sort of reminded her of a suave version of Kirk.

She nodded in understanding and turned back to face the front as she felt the car begin to move. "Is the third stooge joining us?" she asked no one in particular.

She heard Colin mutter something sarcastic in the front seat that was greeted by a giggle that sounded like Stephanie. "Tinkerbell too then, it seems the whole gang is present and accounted for.'

Logan chuckled next to her as Stephanie twisted in her seat "Tinkerbell huh? Well at least it's a step up from Gorilla Girl."

"Anymore interrogation Ace?" Logan asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Where are we going?"

"Ah ah, you know the rules."

She shrugged, "It was worth a try."

"Look at it this way Woodward, we are just protecting you by withholding key information. This way, should you be caught and tortured you would have nothing to divulge to the enemy."

"Do I even want to know who 'the enemy' is in this little scenario?"

"Probably best if you didn't." he said in an ominous tone.

She was silent for a moment. "If I'm Woodward then does that make you Deep Throat? She heard a muffled laugh from the front and she figured that Logan must have sent Colin a censuring look because it was cut short.

Stephanie spoke up glibly "She's doe make a good point Logan. If the citation fits...."

Logan was pouting "I think we should start that whole do what I tell you to thing right now. No more talking until we get there."

Rory smirked "No need to get testy big Mac."

He groaned and threw up his hands when all he got was stifled laughs and a raised eyebrow from Stephanie. ...He probably deserved this, he should have stuck with the obtuse girls who didn't have some sort of undying desire to always have the last word. Of course those girls usually bored him to tears within the space of a few moments. With Rory he usually got the unexpected.

When they pulled to a stop a few minutes later he was ready to get the events of the evening rolling. He had asked Rory here for a reason, it was all part of his master plan. He rubbed his hands together now, getting into the spirit of things. He was going to push her limits and his own during this journey. He was taking a risk but he figured you never really got what you wanted out of life if you didn't take some chances. You couldn't just wait for the opportune moment to fall in your lap, sometimes you had to create it.

The group disembarked from the vehicle and joined a crowd of about 20 other members gathered a few feet away.

Colin sidled up to him and gave him a playful nudge "You sure you want to go through with this? I'm not entirely sure that your charm and awe campaign is having its desired effect so far. That girl has a smart tongue on her and it seems like you are her favorite whipping boy."

Logan shrugged and said cryptically "The night is young."

"Whatever you say boss." Colin joked then asked curiously "What's with the Big Mac thing?"

Logan rolled his eyes heavenward "Just a comment that I am beginning to regret ever making. Apparently she has the memory of an elephant and no tiny remark goes unremembered."

He sighed and brought his attention back to Rory who was standing next to Finn now. He ambled over to join them. "Making new friends Ace?"

"So Mac, are we going to get this show on the road any time soon? Although I do so enjoy emulating Helen Keller I would seriously like to see what new torture awaits me."

"Do you trust me?"

She didn't hesitate "No further than I could throw you."

He gasped in mock hurt "Your lack of faith is like a knife in the heart."

She scoffed "The last time I trusted you we jumped 7 stories without even knowing if our potato predecessors had survived the fall."

He couldn't resist, he leaned towards her and whispered. "and you loved every second of it." She shivered slightly at the feel of his breath on her sensitive ear.

He grabbed her arm and led her towards the center of the group that was now forming a circle.

"So what is it this time a pit of lions?" she joked.

"Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my.' He said with a laugh. 'Okay, here we are, enlightenment time."

He pulled of the blindfold and she looked around curiously. They were in a large circle on a long path of black tarmac. On either side of them sat two private jets and in front of them sat two identical black SUVs.

Everyone around them was dressed entirely in black. She felt like she was in a scene from Men in Black. Perhaps she would go back to school and find her entire identity erased and she would henceforth be referred to only as R. She giggled when she turned her head and saw Finn with his dark sunglasses on, in the middle of the night.

She turned to Logan with a questioning look. "Care to fill me in L? Will the aliens be here soon?"

He cracked a smile but shushed her as a boy in a black cape started the proceedings. "Fellow Brigadiers we gather tonight to begin the annual contest of ingenuity, wits and daring. You all know the rules of the challenge and all hereby agree to the winner's prize and the loser's payment. Please raise your flasks to begin the hunt...In Omnia Paratus and may the best team win. "

There was a resounding cheer and Rory looked around still perplexed as they assembled congregation raised small silver flasks in a toast and repeated the now familiar phrase.

Rory still didn't have a clear idea of what the night would entail but her curiosity was definitely engaged. She followed Logan and a small group of others as they headed for one of the planes. Once they had boarded she couldn't do anything but stare in awe at the luxurious cabin of the small aircraft. She felt like she was 007 off on a mission to save the world. She hesitantly took a seat as Logan brandished a large manila envelope and began to speak.

"So, you all know the rules but I will repeat them for the sake of our visitor." He nodded at Rory. "This is a scavenger hunt for which there are two, pre-determined teams. Each team is then split into two smaller groups, one of which travels by car and the other by air. There are a series of destinations and tasks for which we have to provide proof of successful completion; each of these tasks or items is worth a certain number of points. At exactly midnight 48 hours from now we will rendezvous at a central, as yet undisclosed location. The victor of this little contest will win the right to assign the losing team a task that will be completed at the end of that gathering. In my hand I hold this year's list. The part of our team that is traveling by car will be led by Darcy who also has a copy of the list."

A petite blond girl stepped up to stand next to him and sent Logan a wink. She looked familiar but Rory couldn't quite place where she might have seen her.

Logan continued, "If we are all on board then we can split up and get started. Good luck everyone and just remember the cardinal rule.... deny, deny, deny."

Rory was still scribbling furiously in her little notebook when the blonde girl approached her.

"Hi."

Rory glanced up at the intrusion looking around as if surprised that the girl was addressing her.

"We didn't really get a proper introduction the other day so I thought I would correct that. Rory wrinkled her brow in confusion until it hit her where she had seen the girl before. Rory was astounded when she realized that it was the same girl that she had seen Logan being so friendly with in the newsroom a couple of weeks ago. So much had happened since then that she had almost forgotten about the incident.

Now she was uncomfortable but she hesitantly took the hand that the smiling blonde offered, still wondering what prompted this little greeting. "I'm Rory."

Darcy laughed as she watched the confusion clear from the brunette's eyes and her eyes twinkled as she noted a tiny hint of jealousy. Ah, now this was interesting and it could be highly amusing as a spectator.

On impulse she decided to make a little trouble for her favorite cousin, he needed a chaos thrown into his plans once in a while. As if imparting a sacred secret she leaned forward towards Rory and whispered.

"I'm Darcy. Darcy Huntzberger. I'm Logan's cousin, more like sister really so I know all the dirt on our little Logan, just let me know sometime and I'll be happy tell you some of the more choice anecdotes." She grinned wickedly. "Its just too bad that I am not in your group for this little adventure, it is always fun to see Logan sweat."

After a moment of embarrassment at her earlier petty behavior Rory recovered and it occurred to her that Logan had failed to mention that key piece of information to her. Slowly she returned Darcy's wicked smile, when you were swimming with the sharks it was always handy to have a few hooks in your arsenal.

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Darcy dropped her hand appreciating the droll sense of humor. Her eyes danced as she wished her new friend well. "Have fun tonight, but don't let Logan talk you into anything stupid, sometimes that boy is too persuasive for his own good."

She skipped over to the airplane door. She waved jauntily and sent Logan a playful wink before she descended the stairs and vanished from sight. She kind of reminded Rory of Lane with her bouncy energy and she rolled her eyes when she pictured what Lane's reaction would be to the story of tonight escapades.

Left alone with the small group that would remain on the plane Rory turned to face Logan and gave him a teasing smirk. "So Huntzberger, are you going to show me that list or not?"

Logan eyed her suspiciously for a minute feeling a niggling little worry at what Darcy had said to her to put that smug grin on her face. He just knew it was something bad. Finally he gestured her over and patted the seat next to his. Feeling he had the upper hand again he waited with anticipation for her reaction as he handed her the list and she began to read.

She didn't disappoint, about half way down the page she stopped and raised her head in shock. He almost chuckled as she looked at him with eyes as big as dinner plates. "Aren't some of these things illegal?" Her voice was disbelieving.

Now the fun could really begin. The balance was restored. He tilted back in his chair and put his hands behind head. He took his time and savored the moment , finally he answered. "Technically yes, but only slightly....and only if you get caught." He gave her his best naughty grin and watched delighted as she blanched.

This was going to be an excellent adventure.


	17. Ruminations on Darwin

Ch 17: Ruminations on Darwin

Rory Gilmore didn't like to think of herself as prudish or a goody -goody, she liked to think that she was just as wild and crazy as the next 20-year-old coed. She knew that was the fatal flaw that had allowed Logan to so easily get under her skin.

He represented the forbidden, that dangerous world of wealth, privilege and a sort of devil may care attitude that said that the rules just didn't apply to you. It was a world that she had always looked in on from the outside. Perhaps because her mom had made such a spectacularly scandalous break from its confines she had felt duty bound to be the good kid, the one who followed all the rules and colored inside the lines. Maybe she just didn't have her mom's courageous spirit. She had always wondered in her heart if she would have had the guts to do what her mom had done to escape an unhappy prison. That was probably why she was sitting on this plane right now headed to god knew where, feeling sort of like Neil Armstrong about to set foot on the moon. She had crossed into a strange new land and the rules of her nice little life back in Stars Hollow or even the regimented world at Yale didn't apply here.

As she read the list for the Life and Death Brigade Scavenger Hunt her palms began to sweat and she could feel the blood draining from her face. She cursed her own susceptibility to the lure of adventure. What was wrong with being a good girl anyway? It had always worked for her in the past, why reinvent the wheel now?

She raised her head to look at Logan with the panic rising in her throat. Her voice came out shakier than she had hoped. It was his self-satisfied smirk and the challenging light in his eyes when he answered with a taunting lilt to his voice that had her hackles rising. He had expected her reaction, in fact he relished it and that just irritated her. She might be a naive small town girl but she knew a set up when she saw one. She didn't like being a foregone conclusion.

Gathering her scattered wits she borrowed a little from Emily's condescending stare and a little from her mother's meet what the world throws at you head on attitude as she straightened her shoulders and met his eyes dead on. She was a Gilmore; it would take a lot more than a little challenge to beat her.

"You know that whole "its one less minute that you haven't lived" stuff doesn't really sound as inspirational when its one less minute you don't live in jail. "

Logan gave her a admiring look tinged with surprise at her quick recovery, she had more grit than he had given her credit for. " Don't worry Ace, we'll go easy on you since it's your first time dabbling in a life of crime."

She gave him a hard look "Don't do me any favors Huntzberger. As you so proficiently pointed out on our last outing If I'm going to earn my mettle as a journalist I have to prove I'm up to the challenge, get in the trenches so to speak and get my hands dirty. Besides frankly I'm not sure that I want to owe you any more favors. Don't worry about me, we Gilmore's are made of tough stuff, it takes a lot to break us."

"How very Katie Couric of you."

She looked thoughtful "I like to think its more Christine Amanpour, you know exploring foreign cultures, bringing the unknown world back to the living rooms of normal people. "

"So we are a foreign civilization now?" he asked teasing.

She shrugged, still with that contemplative look "Well aren't you? I mean you have your own laws and your own version of the social contract, there is a hierarchy despite what Tinker bell says only its determined by how close to the Mayflower your ancestors got, what your father owns...and maybe by how far out on that limb of social mischief you are willing to go without flinching. Its like one big game of chicken with you all, a constant need to prove who has the biggest death wish." She trailed off and picked up her little notebook again to scribble down some thought that had just occurred to her.

He watched her amused by her inquisitive mind. He had figured it would require a great deal more alcohol and a few inspirational pep talks to get her to agree to participate in this event but she seemed to have already passed that barrier. He admired her wit and he found himself enjoying her spirit more with every passing minute. He sobered at that thought; this was dangerous territory his mind was wandering in. He had already admitted to himself that she intrigued him, made him want to delve deeper into the riddle she presented. He liked her and enjoyed their little tiffs but he had to be very careful how close he skirted that line that separated fun from pure foolishness.

He noticed that the plane had started to taxi and gladly changed the subject. "Here's your last chance to change your mind Ace," When she just shook her head he continued. " Fasten your seatbelt. It's going to be a bumpy night."

Apparently she caught the double entendre because she cast him an assessing glance as they felt the wheels of the small aircraft lift off the ground. "So, now that there is no safe way for me to escape this ill-conceived venture, are you going to tell me our destination?"

"Details of this little escapade are strictly on a need to know basis, and right now you don't need to know. It will be at least an half an hour though so feel free to take a cat nap if you want to."

"Oh, there is no way I could sleep now, the adrenaline has hit my brain, and it's like a shot of Ritalin. "

"Your prerogative" he said with a shrug.

A few minutes later they were at their cruising elevation and the captain told them that they were free to move around. Rory looked absorbed in her writing so Logan ambled over to the group on the other side of the aisle and quickly fell into conversation with Colin, strategizing the steps necessary to complete their tasks in the next two days.

Rory watched them surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't quite grasp what made Logan tick. When they had first met she had thought that she knew his type but in their encounters he had surprised her. He was cocky, arrogant, self-assured and privileged but he was also smart. Although he played at being the wealthy miscreant she had seen too many little glimpses of his vulnerability to unequivocally believe the facade that he presented to the world. In some ways he reminded her of her mom, they both had a protective coating that withstood most normal scrutiny it was only when you cracked that brittle surface that you saw the human side, the hurt and insecurity and frailty that made them real people. She wondered idly if she would have developed the same defensive shield had she grown up in that world of wealth and appearances. She had discovered from her mom that the glamour was only skin deep in that particular reality.

Recent events in her life had made her contemplate choices and consequences. The experiences with her grandparents had shown her a side of the glittering world of wealth that was deadly, that grabbed the weak by the throat and thought nothing of making them into mincemeat or pawns in some grand scheme. She was ashamed to think that she might be one of the weak. Although she and her mom didn't always agree on everything she had gained a new respect for her mom in the last couple of months. Lorelai had been a scared teenager when she had walked away from the only world she had ever known and set out to make it on her own. She had mistakes like anyone would but she had given Rory the choice, the guidance to be who ever she wanted to be. Lorelai might disagree with the amount of influence that she let her grandparents have in her life but she ultimately allowed her to make her own choices, good and bad. Rory, by choice, had always been the good girl, the A student, the one who just wanted everyone to be happy and get along, the one with the perfect boyfriend and the charming small town life.

Her presence on this plane was proof positive that it was time for a change, after 20 years of life in that role she was beginning to question if that was really who she was or who she wanted to be. Would she look back on her life someday and regret not taking chances, not standing up for what she really wanted. She had already made that mistake with the whole Dean debacle because underneath it all she was still a scared little girl who hated to fail. Growing up with a mom like Lorelai who had made it her life's ambition to be her own person, to never compromise who she was or what she believed in had made it easier in some ways for Rory to be complacent. She had a champion who she knew without a shadow of a doubt would always come to her rescue, unfortunately that left her as a twenty year old woman with no idea how to pick her own battles or fight them for herself.

Maybe Logan was just a catalyst to a greater transformation that was a necessary part of finding herself.

As she watched him laugh and talk to the others she felt a budding curiosity. There was something about him that tugged at her interest. Logan seemed to enjoy his role as King Bee or maybe he just enjoyed life, but she would like to delve beneath that carefree surface to see what really made him tick, she had a suspicion that there was more to him than met the eye.

Although he would never admit it what he was took guts. If she were in his position she wondered if she would be able to cast aside social mores the way this group seemed to or would she always be the good girl? It was a nature or nurture type of argument. Were people like her mom and Logan just naturally that daring, willing to challenge the world on an even playing field or were they made that way by the pressure of an environment that had polished their survival instincts to a diamond hard finish. The more she had seen of the world of wealth and privilege the more she had begun to understand that it was a culture based on the most Darwinian of principles. Though to the outside world these privileged children had the world at their feet in reality they had limited options, play the role that their birth decreed, insulate their spirit and escape to protect their individuality or ultimately be broken by the pressure of expectations. She wondered which Logan had chosen.

Logan appeared to be deep into a conversation with Colin and Finn but he kept half an eye on Rory, curious to see her reaction to the situation. When she suddenly seemed to drift into her own thoughts he saw her blue eyes became unfocused and knew she was staring into some far off land that only she could see. He found himself struggling not to wonder what it was that had put that wistful look on her face. Up until now, aside from the few unintentionally vulnerable moments that they had shared their interactions had been comprised mostly of witty banter and angry confrontations. He didn't really know the real Rory Gilmore that lived and breathed behind that girl next-door face and sharp wit. He didn't know what had made her the woman she was and for once he found himself curious to learn more.

Colin broke his concentration with a question and he quickly snapped back to the conversation on hand. Once the plans were made for the course of action after they landed he found himself wandering back to the seat next to Rory who now looked absorbed in her notebook again.

"So, what's on your mind Ace?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could.

She looked up from her notebook with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, I was just recording some thoughts about the beginning of the evening.... you know journalist stuff...nothing you need to worry about. No names, I promise." She held her hand up like a boy scout.

He grabbed her hand impulsively and brought it back down to her lap. They both shivered a little at the touch but he made light of it. "I trust you to follow the aforementioned conditionts Ace, otherwise you wouldn't be here a second time."

She turned her body towards him now with a serious look on her face. "Why am I here Logan? I mean I know the first time was a big favor but I didn't even ask for this story, you just handed it to me. Not that I am the expert on all things clandestine but it seems kind of unusual for a secret society to grant an outsider access even once, much less twice."

He hedged unwilling to give away his real reason for bringing her along. "You know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth, doesn't seem like a good game plan to me."

She was surprised by the defensive tone but she let the topic go for the moment. They heard the pilot instruct everyone to return to their seats. Apparently they were nearing their first destination. She looked out the window and saw the brilliant glitter of city lights. Logan leaned towards her until she could feel the heat radiating onto her back and said with a soft challenge in his voice. "Welcome to the Big Apple Ace, I hope you are ready to take a big bite out of life. "


	18. Seduced by the Dark Side

Ch 18: Seduced by the Dark Side

She was a little jittery as the group assembled outside the plane and began to divvy up into teams to complete the listed tasks. The other members of the team began to disperse and soon there were only 5 of them left.

Rory expected that she would be in Logan's group so she was taken aback when Stephanie grabbed her arm and announced that she; Rory and Finn were assigned to #10 and # 12. Rory glanced at the list that she could still see over Logan's shoulder and read half to herself

10. Provide photographic proof that a team member danced in a cage at a gay club. 85 points

12. A team member must wear something from the International Male catalogue. 10 points. Bonus points for puffy sleeves or mesh fabric 15 bonus points for doing #10 and 12 together

Finn gave her a wink and a jaunty smile as Stephanie began to pull her towards one of several cabs that were parked next to the plane. "Come on Woodward, if you are going to get the full experience you have to get into the spirit of things, no fair sticking with Logan as your babysitter all night."

Stephanie gave her an evil grin as she jumped into the cab. "Now princess if you are serious about seeing the real Life and Death Brigade in action then wave goodbye to lover boy and let's hit the road."

Rory considered the provocation for all of about 20 seconds before she cast a bemused glance back at Logan and gave him a half wave. In an instant she was pushed into the cab and sandwiched between Stephanie and Finn. Finn poked his head back out and yelled to Logan "Don't worry, we'll take good care of her. See you at the rendezvous point at 5 am."

Logan gave Colin a questioning look and sighed when all he got was a shrug. He scratched the back of his head in thought. "She said she wanted to get her hands dirty but this is more like throwing her in the mud pit, a night with those two will definitely be a trial by fire. Didn't we make a rule last year about Finn and Stephanie being on the same team?"

Colin chuckled. "If we didn't then we should have. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. I'll make a mental note for next year's rule book. I just hope that leveler heads prevail and we don't have to break them all out of jail...you do remember what happened last year right and she is out numbered two to one?"

Logan put his head in his hands momentarily "Why do I get the feeling that we have just thrown the innocent lamb into a pit of wolves."

Colin put a comforting hand on Logan's shoulder and said "Look at it this way, if she is still speaking to you by the end of the night then maybe she's a keeper, if not, well I hear it's nice at the South Pole this time of year."

Logan rolled his eyes at his long time pal "I just hope that her bite is as bad as her bark otherwise she doesn't stand a chance with Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum. You weren't in on this little ruse were you?"

Colin blinked at him with guileless eyes and gestured to his chest.

"Great, I'm surrounded by comedian.s Well, I guess what's done is done so let's get a move on, so many things to steal and so little time."

Rory felt like one of those cartoon characters with the exaggerated terror filled eyes bugging out of her head as they darted from Stephanie to Finn and back. Logan had looked surprised at the turn of events which didn't bode well and she couldn't help the niggling suspicion that there was some ulterior motive to this little outpouring of camraderie. She could smell a set up. Although these two hardly seemed the vindictive type one couldn't always tell with the frivolous demeanor. She had the uneasy feeling that she had just fallen into some sort of trap that was deceiving in its simplicity. What did they want from her?

She tested the waters. "So, um, where do we start?"

Stephanie laughed, a delightfully wicked sound, "Oh, don't you worry reporter girl we have a plan. You are just along for the ride on this one, and to record it for posterity." She pulled a tiny camera phone out of her shoulder bag and handed it to Rory. Then she turned to Finn. "Our illustrious friend here is the star of this particular show and he guards his limelight quite jealously."

Finn twirled his hands in front of him and gave a mock bow. "Finn the Magnificent at your service. Just don't get between me and the spotlight and you'll be safe."

Stephanie just snickered at his lunacy; this was clearly an old routine with the two of them. Rory felt like she was stuck in a cab with Groucho and Harpo but she still hadn't figured out their motivefor including her as their third wheel. Then Stephanie zeroed in on her. "So, what are you doing here?"

No need for suspense; Stephanie wasn't one to mince words. Rory's eyes shot to Finn but it was clear that he wouldn't be rescuing her when he gave her a friendly but unhelpful smile. She wasn't sure what Stephanie was after but she decided she would play dumb until she had a better idea. "You grabbed my arm and pulled me into the cab with you."

"Ha, ha very funny but it won't do you any good to be deliberately obtuse, I can be very stubborn once I get an idea in my head."

Finn nodded in tacit agreement "She's like a terrier with a bone"

Stephanie gave him a withering look "If you aren't going to help then keep your random comments to yourself, this is an important question." She turned back to Rory "So, I repeat, why are you here?

Rory opened her mouth to speak "I'm writing..." She was cut off by a wave of Stephanie's hand "blah, blah, blah, don't try to dodge the question with all that nonsense about writing an article. I want to know what you are really doing here.'

Rory blinked and said the first thing that came to her mind "Logan invited me."

Stephanie pointed a victorious finger in Rory's face as if she had just won an argument and Rory wondered what part of the conversation she had missed that would have made this line of inquiry logical. "Ah hah, now we are getting somewhere. Logan invited you...now that is the bit of this whole scenario that I find curious. How would you explain that exactly?"

Rory was starting to get annoyed so she slowly answered with a look on her face that implied that she was concerned that Stephanie might be one card short of a full deck. "He invited me so I could write a sequel to my article."

Stephanie looked unconvinced "You are telling me that Logan invited you to not one but two LDB events purely out of the goodness of his heart? " Now she turned her attention to Finn "Finn how long have you known Logan?"

Finn considered with a finger on his chin "I think that I once tried to bury him in my sandbox when we were 3 that is the earliest memory that I can recall, he definitely deserved it though, he was flirting with my nanny."

"Well illustrated, in the years that you have consorted with Logan have you ever known him to do ANYTHING purely out of the good of his heart that did not is some way dovetail with one of his devious schemes."

"Well, no, Oh, wait there was that one time that he saved that girl from thieves in Guatemala.... no wait, he ended up in bed with that one. I guess that sort of cancels out the good deed. There was another situation in Bora bora... "

Stephanie held up a hand to stop the rambling and looked pointedly at Rory "You are smart so I am sure you get my point. Lets assume for the moment that I am right about Logan's selfish ways and move on. If we presume that Logan is inherently selfish creature who does nothing that is not to his own benefit, then it leads me right back to my question. Why did he invite you?"

Rory had been purposely avoiding the analysis of exactly this question, she wasn't sure that she wanted to know the answer. Clearly Stephanie didn't have any such qualms and she had a look on her face that suggested that she was prepared to out wait her no matter how long it took. Rory wondered how long one could stay in a New York cab without getting tossed out on one's ear. She gave in an answered. "Guilt?" it came out a question.

"Guilt isn't usually an emotion that is part of Logan's vocabulary." She stopped short as if mulling over a new idea "Oh, wait, you're referring to the little altercation with the bartender?"

Rory was surprised " You know about Marty?"

"Come on reporter girl, give me a little credit, I may seem like a space cadet sometimes, particularly when I have had a few glasses of champagne but there isn't much that goes on in our incestuous little circle that we don't all hear about sooner or later. I usually make it my business to know sooner. Besides this story was just too good to miss. Our diplomatic, smooth talking Logan trying to punch some working class stiff in a bar over a girl was practically the front page of the newsletter, it's all just too mysterious. When I found out the girl was you the intrigue deepened. No insult intended but you aren't usually Logan's type, which begs the question. What exactly is your relationship with Logan? And don't tell me that you are just friends because no girl in her right mind is just friends with Logan Huntzberger, not only does his daddy own most the newspapers on the Eastern seaboard but he is a hotty with charm to spare, there is no way to quibble with that."

Rory protested "We aren't friends " she had made sure that was crystal clear from day one " We are..." she searched for a word to explain her strange relationship with Logan "Colleagues."

Finn just snorted and Stephanie's look could only be interpreted as blatant disbelief. She was insulted by their implication and felt her defensiveness rising as she shot back before she considered her words. "It may come as a surprise to you but not everyone outside your insulated little fantasy world thinks that life revolves around money and charm. Maybe I am just immune to the whole heir apparent to the throne of conceit act. In case my point isn't clear just let me assure you that you have no need to worry your pretty little head, I have no intention of cutting in the line to get to Logan. I don't have any plans for this little outing other than to pry another story out of this situation. You don't have to worry about your precious de facto King because not only am I not desperate enough to want to subject myself to his particular brand of irritation but frankly I find the whole lot of you arrogant and a little too self centered for my taste. "

She could feel herself getting angrier as she caught a glimpse of Finn's smirking face out of the corner of her eye. She whirled on him. "You shouldn't be laughing you are just one of his stooges after all, a mindless member of his little band of merry men. From Marty's version of the story you and Colin were just happily standing by, like the Romans at the Coliseum, just waiting to watch a little vicarious death and destruction for your own amusement. Don't you ever get tired of assuming that the rest of the world is just full of people waiting to be your little play things? Well, I for one am sick of your arrogance and caprice."

Feeling herself being taken over by her mother's brand of outspoken outrage she suddenly clamped her mouth shut. As she looked straight ahead she reconsidered the wisdom of her little outburst, sitting in a cab in the middle of New York City with two virtual strangers at one in the morning wasn't really the most opportune time to lose her cool.

After a moment's consideration Finn turned to Stephanie and they clasped hands and shook as if congratulating themselves on a job well done. "Now I get it... I couldn't fathom what it was that got our little Logan so hot and bothered about her but now I get it. Underneath that good girl facade I think we've got a firebrand just waiting to break free and when she does may the faint of heart beware." Rory decided it was best to just ignore them both since they had obviously long ago left the land of reason.

Stephanie rubbed her hands together now and gave Finn a meaningful look; "Finney I think we might just have found our contender, this girl is going to give Logan a run for his money. "

Rory sighed and gave up on ignoring them; they had clearly made an art form of being obnoxious. "You do realize that I am sitting right here and I can hear you."

Stephanie turned back to her after another short pause she extended her hand. "You passed the test. Welcome to our little world Woodward. Now let me explain a few of the rules of our little kingdom. It's kind of like that Survivor show, only without that annoying Jeff guy to narrate. The rules are simple, know who your friends are but importantly always know your enemies. Finn and I are your new allies in this little game."

Rory glanced from a grinning Stephanie to a nodding Finn with a look on her face that suggested that they had each grown a new head. Then she tried to make some rational sense out of the strange conversation. She had definitely fallen down the rabbit hole on this one, maybe she was delirious from lack of sleep and she was just hallucinating the whole thing. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it, unfortunately when she opened them again there were two pairs of devious eyes looking at her expectantly...she sighed, that would have been too easy.

"Let me see if I can summarize what you are saying. By ranting at you I have passed some sort of test and now you are prepared to be my allies in some imaginary battle against Logan the leader of your little collective."

She looked at the two misfits who both nodded solemnly as if nothing she had said were out of the ordinary. Finn corrected her in a scholarly voice "I wouldn't say battle so much as contest."

"Isn't there something wrong with this little scenario?" Stephanie cocked her head to one side "Such as?"

Rory sputtered at a loss as to how to converse with two obviously slightly deranged eccentrics. "Isn't Logan your FRIEND?"

Finn blew her off with a nonchalant wave of the hand "Of course he is, this has nothing to do with friendship."

Rory just looked at him thoroughly confused by this nonsensical statement, a strange culture indeed, she hadn't been far off her mark with that comment.

Stephanie continued in a tone that you would use for a very small child or someone who you suspect to be just a little slow in the head "Don't get us wrong, Logan is our friend and he is a great guy but he has this annoying habit of coming out of every scrape unscathed. We have been waiting a long time to see him up against a worthy adversary."

Rory was incredulous "So you are planning a human version of a cock fight and I am the sacrificial chicken?"

Stephanie hooted with laughter and Finn grabbed her hand now with a wicked grin "Even the mighty must fall and the tickets will go to the highest bidders for a front row seat to see the inestimable and untouchable Logan Huntzberger knocked on his ass by love."

Rory paled noticeably at the mention of the L word. "Who said anything about love? I don't even like him." She protested perhaps a tad bit too quickly.

Stephanie looked her in eye for a second "I think you actually believe that, don't worry though we'll fix that.'

"Have you been taking drugs or have you just taken a vacation to the happy land of temporary insanity?"

Finn smiled "In my case I like to consider it a permanent place of residence. I have dual citizenship"

Rory didn't even respond to that quip, she was at her wits end with these lunatics. 'What makes you think that I would even agree to go along with this little coup d'état that you have planned?"

Stephanie clucked her tongue in a regretful manner and eyed Rory with an air of sympathy "My dear, I don't think that you understand the particulars of the situation. You are already too deep in this particular pit to extricate yourself without a game plan; we are just offering to throw you a rope. However, as you aptly point out a team is only as strong as its weakest link so we are going to have to insist that you swear your fealty to the assemblage."

"Boy, Brutus and Cassius had nothing on you two. Do the words 'et tu, Brute?' mean anything to you?"

Finn gave her a look of mock seriousness "There is nothing either good or bad, But thinking makes it so."

" Okay, okay, I give up, there is no use reasoning with the insane and you two clearly fit that definition." She threw her hands up in surrender and shook her head in dismay as Finn and Stephanie began plotting their little revolution. She was beginning to think that she was in way over her head with these two conspirators.

"With friends like you who needs enemies?" She muttered as they chortled at some new plan they had hatched.

Stephanie just gave her a conspiratorial wink and grabbed her arm as the cab pulled to a stop on a brightly lit street that was lined by bars and clubs. "Don't worry kid, stick with us and you will come out a winner."

When the cab sped away and left them standing on the sidewalk Rory took in their surroundings with a rapidly accelerating heart, a pounding beat spilled out onto the street and flashing neon periodically dispersed what little dark had managed to creep in. She gazed up at a sign that said CHEETAH in green neon and felt a shiver of apprehension, Stephanie was busily pulling things out of her purse and when she came up with a leopard print boa Rory knew she was in trouble. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Finn stood staring up at the sign in front of them with a bemused smile on his face. "This should be fun." He said with a laugh.

Rory was fairly certain that her definition of fun diverged rather drastically from Finn's.

Stephanie looped the boa around her neck and grabbed her arm again. "Make sure you've got the camera ready, you won't want to miss this. Lets get this show on the road."

She unconsciously backed up a step as the doors opened and she saw a brief glimpse of the wild scene inside but Stephanie's hand on her arm stopped her backwards motion. She pulled her towards the entrance "Where are we going?" she knew her voice was beginning to show signs of panic.

Stephanie didn't even pause as she dragged her towards the door club "Come on Pollyanna, your education has just begun. Just follow our lead, Finn and I are old pros at this little dance."

When Stephanie thrust a fake id into her hand with her face on it Rory swallowed a lump of fear and felt very certain that she was about to be scarred for life.


	19. Welcome to the Jungle

Ch 19: Welcome to the Jungle 

Rory saw visions of handcuffs and flashing lights, and not in a good way, as they advanced towards the doors of the club and a rather humongous bouncer who looked a little like Dog the Bounty Hunter.

He was the gatekeeper to the den of iniquity they were about to wheedle their way into.

Finn and Stephanie handed over their ids and Rory followed suit trying to act nonchalant. The effort was a complete failure as her eyes darted nervously and her hands twitched. She was sure that the bouncer could all but read the word LIAR blazoned on her forehead in scarlet. His beady eyes sized her up and clearly found her lacking in...well something that would have made her look worldy and 28 as her "id" read.

"What's your sign Mabel?" he asked in a suspicious voice. Rory looked at her two companions before she realized with a jolt that they were expectantly looking at her...oh, right, SHE was Mabel. Evidently this whole fake identity thing took some practice.

"Uh' she managed on a strangled voice wracking her brains for the birth date that she had glimpsed on the license. May, she recalled vaguely. Now what was the horoscope for May? She took a stab in the dark "Taurus?" She breathed a sigh of relief when he accepted her answer but it didn't seem to have diminished his supsicions one whit. He was about to say something else, something she was sure would involve policeman and background checks when Finn smoothly stepped in, she was awed at the skillful way he conned the bouncer into letting them in, but then the fifty dollar bill he slipped him might have helped a little as well. Apparently even bounty hunter look-a-likes had a price.

She couldn't question the success of his methods as they were allowed entrance to the wailing jungle that lay beyond. She stopped dead in her tracks about five feet into the cavernous warehouse style club. The wave of sound hit her with an almost palpable blast that nearly knocked her over. She heard the ominous thud as the heavy doors shut behind them and felt a little like Indiana Jones trapped in some rapidly shrinking space with rats or snakes or whatever other horror lie in store for the intrepid adventurer. The dance floor was a writhing mass of bodies, human she supposed although it was difficult to tell among the fur, faux leather and zebra stripes a la Animal Kingdom. She spied the objects of their quest across the room, on the four corners of the space hung from the ceilings on heavy metal chains were metal boxes that looked sort of like huge birdcages. The only problem, well , okay not the ONLY problem, but the only one she cared to dwell on at that particular moment, was that they were some fifteen feet off the floor and they seemed to be occupied by gargantuan no doubt steroid laden men in gorilla suits who were casting less than amiable looks at the crowd.

She glanced over at her partners in this misbegotten enterprise and felt her stomach knot as she saw them with their heads close together cackling gleefully as they hatched some diabolical scheme. She wasn't sure what her madcap companions had in mind but she suddenly decided that she needed a little fortifying before she even wanted to hear the gameplan. She had a feeling her butt was going to be on the line with these two nuts, then, like a little voice sounded in her mind and she could almost hear Doyle saying "Ass, Gilmore, you are a reporter now you have to learn to say ass." Damn Doyle, she was going to have to find a way to exocsie him from her head soon, it couldn't be healthy to have him there. That little subliminal push was enough to remind her why she was along on this outing in the first place. She was a reporter.... a great reporter wouldn't shy away at the first sight of a little animal fur, what was the worst that could happen? With a renewed courage she turned back to her cohorts.

"Okay, lets hear the plan." Their simultaneous toothy grins made a little shiver creep up Rory's spine. They pulled her closer and Stephanie began describing the scheme.

"So, all we need now is a diversion...that's where you and I come in reporter girl." Her grin was diabolical " I am a master of diversions. Really, all you have to do is hold the whip." Rory reared back from the little powwow and paled abruptly, maybe she wasn't quite ready for primetime after all. She raised her voice over the noise "I NEED A DRINK!"

She must have looked sufficiently like a cat on a hot tin roof to warrant concern because Stephanie took one look at her and pointed towards the bar. "Go." She screamed, "I'm right behind you."

She wasn't sure how they ever got there through the mass of humanity that stood between them and their destination but soon they met the metal edge of the bar. When the bartender finally made his way towards them the tests started again..."Whats your poison doll face?" She was momentarily sidetracked by the cat ears on his head but quickly regained focus. She wasn't much of a drinker aand didn' t have the first idea what to order...all she knew was it better be strong.

Stephanie jumped in quickly throwing a hundred dollar bill on the bar. "We'll have two sex on the beach and two slippery dicks."

Rory choked over the name and her voice came out a squeak "What?" Stephanie gave her a censuring look and then broke into laughter "Don't worry my puritanical friend they are just names of drinks. That look on your face was priceless though, I think you really suspected that I was trying to sell your soul or at least your body to the highest bidder."

"I'm hurt, if anyone around here gets to sell you ladies into sin it should be me." Finn said with a playful leer from behind them and then lifted his glass; something called a Slippery Nipple, in a mock toast. "Technically this is against the rules, there isn't really supposed to be any drinking until the end of the game but I say that we commemorate this occasion the right way. Woodward here needs a proper introduction to our elite society and besides no one is here to tattle on us. When the cats away, the mice will play."

Rory's countered with a droll glance regaining some of her composure "Ah, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?"

Finn looked mournful "O' ye of little faith. Fortunately you are out numbered two to one and you are just going to have to trust us."

"I make a point of never trusting anyone who uses the phrase 'just trust us' purely on principle."

Stephanie gave her a pitying look; "Sadly for you principle alone is not going to get Finn into that cage. Time to ask what you can do for your confederacy."

Stephanie did have a point there, Rory had held the shovel and dug this hole all by hersel f when she agreed to this undertaking. Rory looked hesitantly at the shot the bartender set in front of her, she sniffed it cautiously but then just shrugged in submission. It had whip cream on it, how bad could it be? She raised it in toast and then downed it in one gulp sputtering as the alcohol hit her stomach. Her eyes watered slightly.

"Was it good for you?" Finn asked curiously

She rolled her eyes at the licentious gleam in his eyes but dutifully licked her lips testing the flavor "Not bad, sort of like a banana split with a kick. What's next? I could get behind this idea of alcohol that tastes like dessert. Where's that sex thing that you ordered?"

Her illustrious companions seemed to find this statement uproariously funny. Finn clapped a hand on Stephanie's shoulder "ByGod Dr. Frankenstein, I think you've created a monster."

Stephanie giggled again "Oh no my dear Igor, I think part of the credit goes to you, or at least that's what I'm going to tell the judge. Logan is going to have our heads for this." This made them both laugh even harder.

While they were amusing themselves with peals of laughter Rory looked over their heads at the bartender and gestured for another round, she wasn't sure how far that 100 dollar bill would go but she was about to find out. When the drinks were placed in front of them Rory gestured to Finn and Stephanie to pick them up and raised her glass again, what the hell she though tossing caution to the wind. If she was going to do this she might as well jump in with both feet. Grinning now she said, "Here's to a successful diversion." Finn and Stephanie knocked glasses with her and exchanged a triumphant glance. This was going to be the game to end all games.

When they were on their fourth in a rapid succession of drinks Rory felt sufficiently brave to face the dance floor again, she turned and considered the cages trying to come up with an alternate solution. The scene was beginning to waver and pulse but she could just make out a rope that tied the cage to one side of the wall and she was struck by a brainstorm.

She turned back to her new partners "I think I can add a twist to your idea." With their heads close together she explained her stroke of genius and then looked up to see the verdict.

Finn gave her an appreciative look. "Who knew that under that good girl mask there lay the Machiavellian brain of a criminal mastermind."?

"If you two ever meet my mom you'll understand. She would put you two to shame when it comes to devious, dirty minded plots. I might not have taken advantage of it but no one grows up with Lorelai Gilmore without learning a few tricks of the trade. now to my other question, Finn, what are you going to do about the outfit?"

Finn grinned cheekily before he unbuttoned the middle button of his shirt and showed her a peek of lace and mesh. "I came prepared. Although I think we need to hurry things along a bit, it's beginning to chafe."

Rory gave him the once over "You are our very own perverted version Superman."

"If I didn't know better I would say you are ridiculing may art. I only sacrifice myself on the altar of humiliation for the sake of my adoring fans." He pouted.

Stephanie gave him an assessing look "Come to think of it you do look sort of like Clark Kent."

"Only more exotic." He said with an arch look of contempt.

Rory shook her head "Finn you are Australian, although that may give you some claim to inheriting the sly wiles of a criminal mind its not like you are from the Timbuktu."

"I knew someone from Timbuktu once, unpleasant little fellow actually."

Rory and Stephanie grabbed their last shot off the bar and held it a loft "Here is to a baptism by fire for our newest player." Stephanie intoned in a grandiose voice and they all drank. It turned out that her words were oddly portentous.

By the time they were escorted, laughing and stumbling out of the club they had lost count of the number of drinks they had downed, Finn was covered head to toe in whip cream, Stephanie only had one shoe and Rory was praying to what ever higher being might be looking in on her that her mother NEVER got a hold of those pictures a puff of smoke followed them out the door.

Rory's head was spinning but she couldn't seem to stop laughing, she had never seen anything as hilarious as Finn standing on the corner hailing a cab, looking every inch the proper haughty young gentleman, except of course for his attire which at this point consisted of one puffy sleeve, mesh tights. leather briefs and globs of whip cream. She was astounded when a cab even stopped but they didn't question providence and quickly piled in.

"The Empire State Building if you please good sir." Finn said in a prim tone and Stephanie and Rory convulsed with silent laughter again as he winked their direction. The cab driver just rolled his eyes and sighed the sound of a man who has long since lost count of the number of drunken college students that he had chauffeured.

---

It was 5:15 and Logan was beginning to get anxious. He hadn't worried too much at first but as the minutes ticked by he began to think over the numerous catastrophes that they had bailed Finn out of over the years and Stephanie was no better. In fact he was fairly certain that the danger of the pair was predicated on some odd synergistic chemical reaction that made their aggregate villainous acumen hit the genius range. He looked at his watch again and swore under his breath when he saw the time, 5:20 and counting.

Colin watched from the steps as Logan paced with increasing agitation. Perhaps there was something to Finn's pet theory about the girl after all, he had rarely seen Logan so discombobulated over a group being a few minutes late.

When Logan's cell phone rang Colin didn't think twice about answering assuming that it was one of the groups calling in to report their whereabouts. "Hello?" He said casually, he was astounded at the banshee that immediately jumped into a frenzied screaming rage at the sound of his voice. He quickly got up and handed off the phone to Logan who had stopped his pacing at its ring "Uh, I think it's for you."

Logan grabbed the phone and asked in a worried voice "Rory?" The silence was deadly and then Logan gasped audibly and paled when the voice continued on the line. After a few moments of listening he gave a clipped "Yes ma'am." and hung up the phone.

He sat down on the steps with a dejected air and flopped his head in his hands. Colin sat gingerly next to him but wisely remained mute. Finally he heard Logan's muffled voice. "Next time I so much as consider bringing a girl that I barely know on an excursion like this please have me committed immediately." He sighed and raised his head. "That was Rory's formidable mother, a lovely woman with a awe-inspiring talent for inventive intimidation. She doesn't mince words but I am almost positive that she wouldn't hesitate to mince me if one hair on her daughter's head is harmed. If Rory doesn't show up soon I had better have a passport handy with an untraceable alias. If Finn and Stephanie get arrested this time I say we leave them there to fend for themselves."

A cab pulled to the curb cutting short his tirade. When the door flew open and Logan recognized its occupants he shot to his feet. He watched with his hands on his hips and his eyes narrowed in a menacing scowl as the three clearly intoxicated inhabitants stumbled out and managed after some fumbling to extricate their possessions. He advanced on them as they stood blinking in the lights with comically foolish grins on their faces. He stopped in front of Rory and looked at her sternly. This shooting daggers look obviously bounced right off the shield of her drunkenness and had no effect whatsoever on her amiable attitude. She gazed up at him earnestly and then said in a slightly slurred but pretentious voice.

"We, the League of Extraordinary Deviants would like to report the successful completion of our task." Her two misfit accomplices crowed at this as she continued her recitation. How in God's name she had ended up the spokeswoman for this motley crew was beyond his imagination to divine. "Thanks to Sir Finney the Marvelous" she gestured imperiously towards Finn "My new knight in shining whip cream we weren't even incarcerated during our quest."

Rory and Stephanie both dissolved into a fit of giggles at this remark and Logan seriously considered the value of homicide. With a murderous intent apparent in his eyes he spun towards Finn with a malevolent glare. What they said about looks that could kill wasn't even close to describing this situation. He took a good look at Finn just now noticing the state of his dress...or lack thereof. "You aren't supposed to get drunk until the end of this little escapade and definitely not with the resident newshound present. What the hell did you do to her?" he asked one of his oldest friends in a threatening hiss.

Finn tried gallantly to look him in the eye but failed miserably when he couldn't manage to get the three Logan heads to line up correctly. After missing once he managed to slap a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Logan, my friend, you always jumps to such wild conclusions. Maybe you should be asking what she did to us. It was unexpected but for a little thing that girl can sure hold her alcohol like a pro. She looks so sweet and innocent but that is a miscalculation that I would not encourage. She is like quinine, a little goes a long way but its lethal in large doses..." he trailed off and got a far away look in his eye "Hey, do you remember that nanny I had when I was 3, what was her name Helga?"

Logan rolled his eyes at Finn's complete non-sequitor. He shook his head in disgust; Finn was obviously in no shape to reprimand.

"You should never underestimate a Gilmore, that was your fatal mistake.' Rory crowed in a delighted singsong.

He pinned Stephanie with a black look and she just hiccupped in his general direction with a little snigger "Warning sign." She said in a matter of fact tone of voice, as if that explained everything.

He felt like strangling them all. Since when had he become the responsible one around here? "Some one better start filling in the blanks quickly."

The three drunk musketeers all tried to explain at once in an unintelligible babble of words that none of them could even complete without bursting into hysterical laughter.

"And then they threw us out." said Stephanie

"on our collective asses" Rory added, leave it to her to use big words even when she was hammered.

Finn was the last leg "They threatened to arrest us so after some every persuasive acting on the part of yours truly we decided it was probably time to vacate the premises." He finished with an expansive gesture which could have included all of New York for all its specificity "and here we are, only a few minutes late, I think." he peered at his wrist and it took him a good 30 seconds to realize that there was no watch in sight. "Oops, I guess I lost my watch some where in the hubbub."

Logan rolled his eyes... he was beginning to understand the perpetual frustration of the sober masses with the drunken idiot minorities. He held out his hand in am imperious gesture, he was well past the point of politeness. "Let me see the pictures."

Rory stepped forward at that summons with the camera phone in hand. Her eyes were wide and childlike and he groaned inwardly. How could he be angry with her, he was the one who had dragged her into this society of debauchery, a descriptor that he realized he had never used before the advent of one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. Good god, she was turning him into an overprotective prude. He would just have to forgive and forget this little incident and they could get back on track with their little object lesson about how to live life to the fullest.... his brain short circuited at that thought when he saw the first picture. The look he gave Rory could only be described as flabbergasted but the glance he aimed at Stephanie was hardly as benign. This was war.

Stephanie gave him a sheepish look and shrugged helplessly "We needed a distraction. I admit I might have gotten a little carried away with this one but you know how much I love planning a superb distraction."

"A LITTLE?" Logan almost yelled "Correct me if I'm wrong here but in this picture on the bar I think that Rory is holding a whip and I am almost certain that I see something on fire in the background...who exactly were you trying to distract the entire New York City fire department?"

"The security guards of course but actually you haven't gotten to the best one yet." She grabbed the camera from him and eagerly pushed the forward button before she thrust it back into his hands. Lorelai's last threat echoed through his head in surround sound as he saw just what mommy's little girl had been up to tonight.

"I thought that I gave explicit instructions that you were not to do anything overtly illegal in front of the reporter." Stephanie suddenly became aware that Logan's voice had dropped to a sibilant whisper, his nerves were stretched as taught as piano wire and she had the feeling he was about to snap.

"I.." she stuttered as Logan leaned over her small frame in an intimidating manner. Finn thought that was probably the opportune time to try out their new secret weapon and pushed Rory towards Logan with a whisper. "Its show time babe." He patted her on the shoulder and backed up a step, out of punching range.

Colin was the observer in this little performance and he almost laughed aloud at the inane behavior of the three guilty parties. They were innocuous enough that he saw no harm in their silly antics until he noticed Logan's look of astonishment quickly turn lethal and he feared for all of them. Rory was a pretty girl but he didn't quite get what it was about her that seemed to incite his normally level headed friend to such grand extremes. He stopped his musing as he watched Rory take a step towards Logan and saw the whispered exchange. Now this could be interesting, he noted the calculating looks in the faces of two of his closest friends and suddenly he realized that maybe while he hadn't been watching the balance had shifted. It certainly looked like his best buddies had switched sides.

Logan froze as Rory looked him in the eye and her hand rose to touch his cheek in a strangely intimate gesture. He shivered at the contact and cursed his weakness for this girl, he couldn't figure out what it was about her that destroyed his defenses and reduced him to the level of the incompetent masses. Her eyes were blurry but he couldn't deny the mesmerizing intensity of her sapphire gaze, so compelling, so bewitching, getting lost in those eyes was like drowning one satisfying inch at a time, you knew you were dying but you just couldn't gather the will to care.

"Don't be mad Logan." She whispered in a breathy persuasive voice that felt like a caress as she leaned in to him. For that brief span of time he was suspended, he forgot about the observant eyes around them and only existed in the space of that extended reality, time in slow motion as her lips hovered a hairbreadth from his. His eyes were hypnotic and the unspoken desire vivid. Rory could see that he was caught and for a split second that heady power and the magnetic chemistry between them made her want to complete the motion. She felt her heart accelerating as she sucked in a shaky breath. She was playing with fire and she knew it, she also knew that she would probably regret it the instant the giddy grip of the alcohol wore off.

Deliberately she shifted her weight back and put an inch of space between them. She forced her breath to slow and then she focused her attention back on Stephanie. "Steph and Finn shouldn't take all the blame, it was partly my idea."

Logan was so entranced by her soft lips parting that it took a long second for her words to register. Since when were she and Stephanie so buddy buddy? He didn't like this development one bit. The rest of her sentence suddenly got through to his brain "Your idea?" he was sure that he had heard her wrong. "It was your idea to light the bar on fire?"

She looked sheepishly down at her hands "Well, actually that was kind of an accident...but it did accomplish the goal so I guess alls well that ends well."

He sent his two erstwhile friends a look that would have eviscerated lesser beings; he didn't like the celebratory look they exchanged. They were his best friends but he didn't trust them one lick when it came to playing games.

With military precision he spun on is heel and stalked away his words carrying back over his shoulder. "You had better find a way to sober up quick because we have a long day ahead of us...and don't think for one second that I will forget this little incident."

Finn threw an arm over Rory's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear "Masterful my dear, he'll be waving the white flag before you know it." Rory watched Logan stalk away and felt sobriety returning quickly she had serious doubts about the veracity of that statement and thinking about it was making her head hurt.

Logan got the last word as usual when he spun around about ten feet away and volleyed his parting shot "Oh, by the way Ace, I promised your mom that you would call her, I'd get right on that if I were you, I think there was some mention of calling the CIA."

Rory groaned, this was not going to be a fun conversation...she just knew that victory had been too easy. She looked at Finn "I need coffee post haste...and a phone."


	20. A Worthy Defense

Ch 20: A Worthy Defense 

They managed to find an all night diner just across the block and decided to take a quick break from their activities to rally the troops. Rory claimed she was in desperate need of sustenance of both the caffeinated and non-caffeinated variety. Soon the five of them were situated in a red vinyl covered booth with plates piled high with an assortment of breakfast foods. Logan had returned after a brief head clearing walk and was now in better spirits, of course Rory suspected this was mostly because he was anticipating the unpleasant call to her mother.

It was 5:45. Since waking the reigning Lorelai from a dead sleep was never a good way to start off a conversation that was bound to be ugly anyway Rory was stalling. Lorelai's tongue tended to be at its most barbed before coffee and the fact that Rory was a couple hundred miles away wouldn't stop her from threatening bodily harm and carrying out said threats at the next possible opportunity. As she was not in favor of having to wait for the other shoe to drop for the interminable future she decided that she had a bit of a reprieve before her mom called out the feds.

Rory grasped the steaming extra large cup of coffee like it was a life ring on the open sea and inhaled the pungent scent with a look of rapture as her eyes fluttered closed. Finn watched her with an awed expression. "I think that you are the only person I have ever seen that makes drinking coffee look orgasmic."

She opened one eye but didn't answer as she let the hot liquid slide down her throat. "It's better than sex if you ask me."

Finn quirked a leering eyebrow and was about to make a playful comeback when she held up a warding hand to stop the inevitable lewd remark. She gave him a stern look. "Spare me."

He attempted a pout but the effect was comical when they both started laughing.

Colin watched this from on side, ever the observer. It was clear that Rory Gilmore had managed in the space of few hours to wrap Finn around her little finger, and Stephanie seemed equally willing to embrace her into their little group. This wasn't much of a feat really since they were the emotional whores of the group. They loved adopting new friends whenever they thought it might bring them a modicum of entertainment. Logan was also obviously taken with the girl although he was better at hiding it. Now Colin, he was a different beast altogether and he hadn't decided what he thought of this new interloper.

Thirty minutes later they had made an impressive dent in the mountain of food before them and now Rory was slumped in the booth with a look on her face that suggested that she was a death row inmate who had just been told that her time was up. It was a last meal of sorts. She was staring blankly into the dregs of the third of her prerequisite 3 cups of coffee that she had allowed herself before she called her mom, who knew how many she would need after to staunch the bleeding. She was muttering sarcastically to herself, building up some momentum to face her mom's wrath. This was of great entertainment value to her audience. All other pretense at conversation had ceased over 5 minutes ago as they all regarded the escalating fervor of Rory's grumbling. Logan was back to smirking and Finn and Stephanie were watching the scene with openly voracious curiosity. Colin was watching the three of them watch Rory. When she began to add gestures to the one sided argument Logan reached across the table and grabbed her arm cutting a particularly vehement finger point off mid motion. He placed a cell phone in her hand with an artfully sympathetic look.

"Just call her Ace. We don't have time for a full filibuster here."

She flushed and looked at the avid eyes of her companions "You are enjoying this aren't you? Don't get me wrong my mom is my best friend but when she gets her righteous mom attitude going you pretty much get steamrolled unless you are ready with the ammunition and well rehearsed. She has a gift, unfortunately it got diluted in the gene pool."

She gave an envious sigh and then focused on the expectant faces around her, okay, she was stalling. She checked her watch, by now her mom would probably be up and getting ready for work. She looked at the phone and with a resigned sigh she dialed the familiar number. She only hoped that she had already had a few cups of coffee because Lorelai half awake and caffeine deprived was an experience that would make a good horror film.

The phone only rang once before it was picked up...bad sign, very bad sign, it meant she had been waiting for it to ring.

"Hi, mom?" it came out in a tentative tone.

Lorelai's voice came over the line a second later dripping saccharine sweet sarcasm. Rory rolled her eyes towards heaven...this was going to be ugly, like Night of the Living Dead ugly.

The voice was exaggerated concern "Have you been kidnapped by pirates? Sold into white slavery in China? Thrown in a pit by a psychopath who wants to fatten you up so that he can use your skin as a woman suit? Cough twice if your captor is in the room and I will have the feds there before you can even blink. "

"I'm fine mom..." she was cut off as her mother continued the diatribe.

"I'm out of plausible movie themed explanations then. I have wracked my admittedly smaller and less exercised brain and I just can not fathom another reason that you would not have called to tell me that you were not indeed in your dorm room sleeping off the exhaustion of the past week of mental gymnastics as you so convincingly told me you would be only two days ago."

"Mom, I can explain..."

She wasn't finished with the saccharine yet but now it had a lethal edge that would slice you to ribbons without leaving a drop of blood as evidence. "Yes, please do explain why it is that when I called your lovely and inestimably articulate roommate at 12:00 last night I was informed that ...now wait let me make sure I get this quote verbatim, "Your daughter has decide to participate in the midnight shark feeding frenzy with a smirky, yacht-wrecking, cold blooded heartbreaker otherwise known as Logan Huntzberger" now I'm not sure that smirky is actually a word although I would in most cases defer to the superior vocabulary of a Yale student, but I have to give her at least 6 points for creativity alone."

"Are you finished?" Rory asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Not hardly but I will follow Robert's Rules of Order and give you the floor, I will allow 30 seconds for a rebuttal."

"No interruptions allowed if you are really going to follow the rules."

"Rules are meant to be broken...29 seconds and counting."

Rory's eyes narrowed despite the fact that her mom couldn't see her as she prepared for battle "I'll make this brief. To summarize Mac invited me on an LDB event for a follow up article and as an apology. I accepted. End of story."

There was a brief silence on the other end; she was regrouping for a second charge. "So now you are god knows where at 6:15 in the morning with Logan Huntzberger, the Logan Huntzberger who made you jump off a seven story scaffolding with only an umbrella?"

"We've been over this...I wanted to jump, he just gave me the opportunity."

"That's what Manson's followers said about the coolaide." Lorelai continued as if she was never interrupted "The Logan Huntzberger who blackmailed you at my parent's Rory auction?"

"He didn't blackmail me...well, okay maybe he did but I benefited from the arrangement as much as he did. You saw the other guys there, it could have been a lot worse."

She saw Stephanie give Logan a curious look.

"The Logan Huntzberger who punched the Naked Guy over some as yet undetermined but imagined slight involving you?"

"He didn't punch the Naked Guy, he just tried to punch him."

This time Finn gave Logan a raised eyebrow as it became blatantly obvious who was being discussed "Naked guy?" he mouthed and Logan just shrugged. He had to assume that was Marty but it was a mystery how they had come up with that nickname. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know the derivation of that particular name.

Lorelai was on an unstoppable roll "The Logan Huntzberger who tried to bribe you with coffee...okay well, actually I understand the lure of that one."

"It was good coffee." her voice was on the edge of impatience. "Almost as good as Luke's"

The gasp at the other end was audible to all assembled as Rory held the phone away form her ear with a wince.

"I am going, for the good of us all, to assume that you are currently either delirious from lack of sleep or on some sort of drug that prohibits operating heavy machinery or talking to your mother about her boyfriend's famous coffee. As I was saying before I traveled that particular yellow brick road, I need to ask you a question. Are you involved with this Logan chap?"

"No, mom, it's not like that, it's for an article..."

" Because you know if you are that's okay, I just need to know so I can prepare an offensive against your grandmother's gloating. They are probably partying right now, conga lines, piñatas, the works for their granddaughter who finally upheld the family name and landed a rich fish."

"Mom.." this time it was sharp and high pitched.

Rory took a deep breath and glanced at her rapt audience. She rose from the table and took a step away from the table consciously lowering her voice "Listen mom, you know I so love dissecting my every foible with you but this really isn't a good time. I am in New York; I have not been kidnapped, sold into slavery or in any other way taken against my will. Johnny Depp and Jody Foster are not involved, nor is Hannibal Lector, creepy reference by the way. Just think of me as Indiana Gilmore off on a new adventure."

Lorelai perked up at this "You know his real name was junior, that sort of fits...only I can't really see you with a bull whip and your features are too delicate for one of those hats."

Rory shuddered to think of how close her mom had come to the truth.

Lorelai continued gaily now "So in this little scenario are your current companions the Nazis or the cannibalistic slavers that eat monkey brains?"

Rory regretted ever bringing up the Indiana Jones theme, it was one of her mom's favorites. "We are here on a scavenger hunt and assuming that no disaster befalls me between now and midnight tomorrow night I will be back under your mommy radar on Monday. Then we can dissect and plan offensives to your little hearts content. Now please, just promise me that you won't call any federal agency and file a missing person's report and I will promise you the uncut version of the details on Monday night over Luke's coffee. "

There was a pregnant pause on the other end and Rory knew that her mom was sulking while her dervish of a brain whirled trying to come up with another angle to argue, finally she relented. "Okay, I agree to your terms but only if you pinky swear that you will tell me everything and promise that if you get arrested you will call your grandmother first..." she chortled " I would just love to see her face when she got that call."

"Gee, thanks for your support mom."

Lorelai's voice was serious now "Hey kid, in all seriousness, be careful. You are a good kid and I know that everyone has to go through this whole finding yourself phase, you were there for several of mine after all. A word of advice from a veteran of the battle. Don't let them talk you into being someone you aren't." there was a brief pause "Enough of the heavy stuff. I love you babe, just don't do anything I would do."

"Okay Yoda, I love you too. I'll see you at Luke's on Monday at 7 o'clock."

"Its a date my young Jedi...may the force be with you. Oh and if you want to get on my good side get me a present...you know how much I LOVE presents."

"Anything in particular ----?"

"Surprise me."

"Bye mom." She laughed ruefully as she flipped the phone closed and turned back to the table to find 8 pairs of eyes glued to her back.

She smiled brightly now. "My mom says hi."

The quartet of raised eyebrows garnered a sigh of vexation "You all should consider trying out for the synchronized eyebrow raising team, I hear its the next big event to be added to the Olympics."

"Ooh, the Olympics, I want to be in the Olympics just for the volleyball, the dancing girls in bikinis are my favorite." Finn said with a gleeful gleam in his eye.

"You do know that those aren't the actual volleyball players right? Those are just the half time show." Colin turned to Rory "Now, if they make hitting on women an Olympic sport Finn here is your man."

Finn sulked "Why must you always rain on my parade?"

Rory turned curious eyes to Logan who had been strangely silent throughout this exchange. "What no sarcastic remark from the Quip Master?"

He looked her straight in the eye and said in a total dead pan "It was too easy. You should know I never like to take the easy way. It takes all the fun out of my ultimate victory." He held here gaze a moment longer and Rory had the odd feeling that she had lost track of exactly what they were talking about. The challenge was there in his eyes, as it had been since the day they met but this time it was different, this time it was personal.

He rose from the table. "Alright my friends no more time to waste, we've got mayhem and madness to pursue if we want a chance at winning this little contest."


	21. A Kindred Spirit

Ch 21: A Kindred Spirit 

Rory exited the bathroom ten minutes later to hear the tail end of a heated debate between the Three Amigos. It ended in a slamming of car doors and Logan's words carried to them "We will pick you up at 9 am sharp, don't be late."

She was left standing on the sidewalk with Colin. She was admittedly a little loopy from the combination of alcohol, caffeine and sleep depravation but this was definitely a twist she hadn't seen coming.

She tried for a friendly tone treading on egg shells with the unknown member of the trio "I guess we are partners in this enterprise."

He surveyed her with an inscrutable gaze before turning to whistle for a cab. So much for light and friendly she thought in defeat. She subsided into quiescence.

The alcohol was beginning to take its toll and she had not inhaled nearly enough caffeine to counteract its effects. She closed her eyes momentarily as she heard Colin give the driver their destination. She rubbed aimlessly at her aching temples as she opened her eyes and watched the buildings flying by. She hadn't had much interaction with Colin and in some ways had almost felt more comfortable with the zany hekyll and jekyll twins. Colin was the serious one of the triumvirate and often in the background, upstaged by the flamboyant Finn and the charismatic natural born leader Logan. As someone who had played second fiddle to her mom most of her life she knew that being the quiet observer didn't necessarily mean that there wasn't plenty going on behind that reserved facade. However, after the craziness of the activities of the night she was hesitant to break this little bubble of calm and also wasn't entirely certain that her mental faculties were up to another battle with the two edged sword of obscure meanings and obfuscation. In tacit agreement with the pact of silence Colin remained quiet as well, lost in his own thoughts.

The taxi lurched to a sudden stop and she was jolted out of her daze. Colin disembarked first and then held the door for her as she slid across the seat. As the cab pulled away behind them Rory met Colin's eyes for the first time. They stood there for a long moment sizing each other up. Rory found that she was actually more uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze than she had been with Finn and Stephanie, they at least were easy to read although following the path of their convoluted brains was often like a following the white rabbit through a maze.

"Lets get this over with so we can make it back on time.'

Rory paused taken aback by the hostility in his voice "You don't like me do you?"

Colin inspected her with a cold look and she felt a little like a bug under a microscope. "I haven't decided yet." His voice was detached. "Finn and Stephanie are not all that discriminating about their playmates. I on the other hand chose my friends carefully, my affections are not so easily won."

"What about Logan, do you question his judgment as well?"

"Logan keeps his own council but I will say that he has a certain penchant for being blinded by a pretty face."

Rory stiffened at the insult evident in his tone and a barbed comment hovered on the tip of her tongue. When she saw his canny expression she forced herself to swallow the words. This was a test. She was tired of tests and she was determined not to rise to the bait.

Rory gave him a shrewd look. "Lucky for us, it doesn't really matter if we like each other or not, all that matters is that we finish this task as quickly as possible. So what is it that we have to do this time? "

Colin produced a piece of paper and without comment perused its contents before handing it to her. She and Colin had been assigned a somewhat more benign project than the last little debacle and she wondered if Logan had something to do with distancing her from the dangerous stunts. God only knew what her mom had threatened him with; she was a visionary in the field of innovative scare tactics.

"So all we have to do is somehow sneak into the Columbia University library find a copy of "Through the Looking Glass" and manage to smuggle it out of the library without getting caught. Then write the jabberwocky poem in the main quad with chalk and get a Columbia security guard to take a picture of us with our handiwork."

Colin shrugged with feigned indifference and a challenging look "Seems simple enough."

Her look was pained "I can handle the whole graffiti thing, that is harmless enough but do we actually have to steal a book from the library?"

He gave her an odd look.

She continued, "It seems sort of heretical or something like we might be excommunicated for our desecration of sacred space."

His look implied that there were a few bats in her attic.

"What?" it came out defensive "I have a thing about libraries okay, they are kind of like my version of religion."

"I'm not even going to touch that one, but if you want to help me you are going to have to jump in with the rest of us sinners."

She huffed "Can't we just get a student to check it out for us?"

"Not only is that virtually impossible on a Saturday at 6:45 am but it is also against the rules."

"Okay, you have a point." She still looked worried "The book will be returned at the end though right?"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. She sighed in resignation when no answer was forthcoming.

"I may be new to this whole criminal mastermind gig but I think we need a strategy. Have any bright ideas? I'm guessing you aren't as accomplished as Finn and Stephanie are at diversions so we will have to use our brains." Rory stopped abruptly "I know, I'll just say that I am a student and I forgot my id and that it is absolutely imperative that I get into the library to get a book for a paper I am writing. I have a very good doleful and pathetic face, my mom says I have a true talent for "bambi voice" as she calls it."

Colin looked her up and down pointedly and held up a finger "Two problems with that little plan, one, and I hate to have to repeat myself but it's 6:45 in the morning on a Saturday and I think that even the most devoutly studious student would be hard pressed to argue that it couldn't wait for a more reasonable hour." He held up a second finger and then pointed it at her "Two, you are drunk."

Rory gasped in mock indignation "I am barely drunk, I bet I could even walk a semi-straight line by now. "

Colin looked skeptical "I think that is entirely beside the point. I don't know what you were drinking but I can smell it from here."

She crossed her arms and pouted, "Lets hear your genius plan Einstein."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels" Well, it just so happens that I have an inside source that might be willing to help us. It doesn't say anything in the rules about using an inside source."

"Let me guess, it's a girl."

He gave her a superior look. "Guess you will just have to trust me." He turned and started to walk as he pulled out his cell phone. After a moment Rory stomped after him growling about trite, untrustworthy comments.

He waited as the phone rang on the other end. It took 6 rings but finally a groggy voice answered "Hullo."

"Ian? Its Colin."

The voice on the other end went from sleepy to disgruntled. "Colin? As in my little brother Colin who knows that I prefer not to be awakened before noon, and not until at least 2 on a Saturday. What day is today?"

"Saturday" it came out a mumble.

"Call back at 2 by then I might just have the energy to kill you for waking me up." There was a click on the other end and Colin stared at his phone blankly for a minute. Rory shivered a little in the early morning chill. Colin snapped out of his stupor and said with a nasty smile. "Don't worry, I know where he lives. Lets go."

Rory followed at a trot as Colin took off across the plaza towards the street on one side of the campus. The apartment building was only a block or two away from the main campus and Colin seemed to know exactly where he was going as he charged up the steps and rang the bell next to one of numbers. There was no answer. He rang it again this time with irritation obvious in the gesture. This time a far from pleasant voice came from the speaker. "If this is you little brother then you better be accompanied by a naked woman as an offering to the Gods for this obnoxious behavior."

"Brother?" Rory looked askance at Colin "I seen charm runs in your family."

The buzzer sounded and Colin pushed through the doors and headed up the stairs. He stopped in front of a door labeled 2B. Rory looked around, it was a decent apartment building but it didn't look like the kind of place that people with the kind of money that the LDB threw around would let their kids live in. The picture began to come together when the door swung open to reveal an unshaven shaggy haired slightly older version of Colin. He lounged against the door and pointedly did not invite his brother in until he laid eyes on Rory who stood behind him. He gave her an insolent once over and then looked at his brother.

"She isn't naked but she is cute, I'll give you that."

Colin rolled his eyes at his older brother "Yes, and she is also taken, by Logan."

Ian rolled his neck in contemplation "Huntzberger did always have superior taste in women."

Rory opened her mouth to protest the insinuation that she was somehow claimed, by Logan of all people, it was absolutely preposterous. Colin's cautionary glance stopped her. She decided she would play along for the time being but when they got out of this she was going to have a few choice words for him. It was interesting, however, to note how quickly Ian had stepped down the innuendo once she was labeled as Logan's

"Rory Gilmore, meet my brother Ian, the bonafide black sheep of the family." Ian looked rather proud of this distinction and it reminded her of her mom.

She peaked into the room beyond and Ian belatedly waved a hand of invitation and closed the door behind them. "So little brother what brings you to my humble doorstep at this ungodly hour?"

Colin hesitated and then leapt into an abbreviated explanation of their task. "I figured that you might know some good way in and it needs to be fast because we only have 2 and a half hours until we are supposed to meet the others. Ian was silent for a minute and Colin and Rory exchanged glances.

"Okay, I think I have just the thing. You see there is an old tunnel that runs from the Journalism library to the main library, some of it is used as storage now but if we can get you in then you should be able to get to the main stacks. Now getting into the Journalism library is going to be the tricky part, there is an old fire escape on the back side of the building that is purported to lead to a set of windows on the second floor that are loose and can be pried open. I have never tried it myself but I've known several people who have done it successfully."

"Why would anyone want to sneak into the library?" Rory broke in, unable to contain her confusion. Ian gave her a patronizing look "Other than your own obviously studious activities...what do you think goes on back in all those dark cozy stacks?" Rory's face squinched into a disgusted look, she was never going to look at a library the same way.

Ian was up now and rummaging through his closet "Here is a hat for the girl and a sweatshirt. If you keep your head down it should keep you from being identified on the security cameras."

Rory gulped "Security cameras?"

"Columbia takes its written word very seriously." She grabbed the hat and jammed it on her head, the sweatshirt hung almost to her knees but she figured it made her fairly undistinguishable. Colin's apparel fit considerably better.

Five minutes later they were ready. They tramped back to the campus with a disgruntled Ian in tow. When they reached the library Ian glanced around to make sure they weren't being watched closely. Luckily at the early hour on a Saturday they still had the space mostly to themselves. They crept surreptitiously, while trying to appear nonchalant around the side of the building. When the reached the far back corner they stopped and Ian pointed to a folded up fire escape ladder that was about 8 feet off the ground.

"That's the ladder, one of you has to stand on that little ledge on the side of the building and jump up to grab the ladder and pull it down. Then you will climb up to the second floor." He pointed up to the upper story of the building "You see that set of windows off to the right, well the second one is the one that you can supposedly jimmy open."

Rory paled as she looked at the rusted ladder and she muttered in a low voice "I told him that I hate ladders and yet here we are again."

Colin gave her a funny look but then turned to Ian. "Hey, thanks for your help, I owe you one."

"You know me kid, any chance to screw the establishment." Ian said with a shrug and then vanished back around the side of the building.

Colin rolled his shoulders "You sure you want to do this?" he asked her point blank noticing her pallor and the air of panic. She nodded but didn't say anything as she stared up the side of the ivy-covered building. Finally she met his eyes "No use waiting around out here to get caught, lets do it."

Colin gestured towards the ledge with mock chivalry "Ladies first."

She gave him an incredulous look "I don't think that now is really the time to stand on ceremony. "

He chuckled despite himself and jumped up on the ledge and turned to stand until he was facing the ladder end. He took a deep breath and jumped; when his hands grasped the ladder rung he let his weight pull it towards the ground. He heard Rory let out a rush of relief when his feet hit the ground. He gave her a cocky smile "See, nothing to it." He ignored the pounding of his heart in his ears.

They began to climb, slowly up the creaky ladder trying to be quiet and finally reached the windows that Ian had pointed out. Colin hunched down to examine the frame and found a little notch that could be used to pull on the edge of the window. He hunted through his pockets and finally came up with a pen that he jimmied into the small hole and then he began to wiggle it slowly until the very edge of the window began to move. Once he got a grip on it he pulled gently and the window creaked open with a shower of old paint chips. When it stood wide enough for them to squeeze through he turned to Rory and gave her a pleasant smile.

"Ready for your first B and E?"

She looked like he had just suggested killing her mother. Her eyes were huge and he could see she was struggling with nerves. She sucked in a deep breath and then nodded in the affirmative. She didn't trust her voice. Colin pushed through the window first and found the back section of study carols deserted. Rory peeked her head through next and then gingerly squeezed through the opening and landed with a little thud on the ground next to him. He gave her thumbs up signal and they began to creep through the silent stacks trying to find the back stairway that Ian had described, once they found it they were able to sneak down to the basement level. The door there wouldn't give at first but after a few shoves it opened with a groan of unused hinges. They found themselves in a dusty hallway that was cluttered on one side with boxes and old furniture. As they picked their way through it moving steadily towards their destination Rory finally broke the silence.

"Why did you tell your brother that I am with Logan?"

Colin looked at her in surprise "It was the quickest way I could think of to get his attention off you and onto our little problem."

She considered that answer, "Why would that be so sure to work?"

Colin gave her an assessing look and considered how much he should explain to her. "You have to understand the way that our social group works, we all might claim to be equals but there is definitely those that are born royalty so to speak."

Rory had already surmised as much from her observations of the group dynamics "And Logan is one of the royalty?"

"Lets just say that Logan has a few points on his side that would make most mortals think twice before crossing him."

Rory thought about this for a breath or two while she worked her way around an old desk in the corridor. "He is never that intimidating around me but everyone else seems to think that he is either the second coming or the devil incarnate."

Colin was a little surprised at her candor "I think that's a combination of factors, first of all Logan is usually on his best behavior around you."

Rory gave him a dubious look "If that is his best behavior I shudder to think what he is like when he is being himself."

Colin continued "the other reason for your skewed view is that you aren't that easily intimidated by wealth, power or sarcasm which are Logan's most powerful weapons."

"You should meet my family sometime, then you would understand. They play to the death, the little skirmishes we engaged in are child's play in comparison." her tone was wry.

Colin considered her for a moment as she batted away a particularly vicious dust bunny. He could see it; all of a sudden he could see what made this girl stand out from all the others that Logan had toyed with over the years. She was beautiful and had an untouched quality but that wasn't what stood out, she was smart, she had wit and she didn't back down easily. If Logan hadn't called dibs he might have been attracted to her himself but he could never compete with the chemistry that you could see practically snap between the two. He knew about where Logan stood but he still had no idea where she stood. Finn's gossiping old lady bug suddenly bit him and he was curious to know the answer.

"If we are finished with that line of inquiry then let me ask you a question. What are you doing here?"

Rory stopped dead in her tracks and he almost slammed into her back before she whirled towards him "Not you too. You seemed like the sanest one of the bunch but here I am having de ja vu and feeling like I had this identical conversation not more than a few hours ago. What did you all sit down at a committee meeting and prepare a script?"

Colin looked confused so she considered. "Fine, I will give you the same answer I gave your little accomplices I am here because Logan invited me so that I could write a second story."

"Yes, I know that part, what I want to know..."

She cut him off with impatience "Don't tell me that Logan stole your nanny in the sandbox as well."

Colin was giving her a look that clearly stated his fear for her sanity but she just scoffed, there was no doubt that her sanity was long gone , she did let him continue though "Actually, I wasn't going to ask about Logan's motivation, I already know that. I want to know why you are here. You aren't with Logan in any sense of the word so why did you accept the invitation?"

Rory paused wondering for a split second before sanity returned about just what Logan's motivations might be. Then the rest of his question sank into her tired brain " Curiosity mostl. I guess I'm here for the adventure, the thrill. To do something different, something bad for once." She echoed Logan's previous speech.

"Pardon me for saying so but you don't seem like the kind of person who likes doing bad things."

"No, I don't do I. I guess looks really can be deceiving." The words were barely above a whisper and he had a feeling from the far off look in her eye that she was no longer talking to him.

She was caught in that web of guilt over her actions but she forcibly snapped herself out of it a second later. She wasn't here to think about all her mistakes. She was here to find adventure and forget her life messy for a little while.

She turned back to Colin "I guess I am here to have fun and from what I have seen there is never any shortage of that with your merry band."

Colin peered at her in the semi-dark waiting for her to continue but she had apparently said all she had to say. They were feeling the urgency of the time crunch just as they hit the doors at the end of the corridor. Colin pushed at them hesitantly and looked back at Rory with a nod when they moved a crack. They both took a deep preparatory breath and then he pushed again until a large crack had opened that showed the room before them. They seemed to be in a basement storage area and once they ascertained that there were no other inhabitants of the dark room they wove their way across to the stairs that they could make out in the faint light. Luckily the library wasn't open yet so they had the place to themselves.

Rory was awed as they walked through the big open vestibule. She couldn't contain herself "Did you know that Columbia has over 600,000 rare books and 28 million manuscripts." He clearly thought she was crazy. "I wish we had time to see the rest of the journalism library. Did you know that the funds to build it came from Joseph Pulitzer himself?"

"What, are you a tour guide now?"

"Fine, go back to your ignorance."

Their footsteps echoed on the stone steps as they hurried up towards the stacks. Rory stopped to look on one of the computers for the number of the book but they both heard a shuffle of feet in the hallway outside their room. Colin grabbed Rory by the arm and pulled her back into the stacks where they huddled until the footsteps passed.

Then he whispered in a barely audible voice "I think you need a password anyway. Don't worry though I happen to know a little Dewey decimal system.'

She gave him an odd look "Well, you are man of many varied and useless talents."

He puffed up his chest "You've only just scratched the surface of my genius." He stepped out of the shadows "come on, I think the section we need is up another floor."

When they found the book 10 minutes later Rory was dutifully impressed. "Okay, what next?"

Colin shrugged "Now we go back out the way we came I guess. "

"Won't that take too long, we are running a bit short on time." "Do you have another suggestion?"

She pondered...she couldn't see any way past the security alarm on the door. Suddenly they heard steps from above coming their way. Colin grabbed her arm to pull her away form the stairs but she stopped him and whispered to him "Wait, the library isn't open yet so that has to be an employee, if we can get that person to let us out the front doors we are in the clear."

Colin looked dubious. "How do you suggest we do that?" Rory thought and then an idea came to her compliments of her mother. "Follow my lead." She said to Colin silently praying to the god's that be that she could successfully emulate her mom's acting abilities. The woman came into view ten seconds later not paying much attention to her surroundings as she concentrated on a stack of papers in her hand. She jumped when she suddenly reached the bottom of the steps and noticed she had company.

Rory rushed forward before her shock could turn to suspicion dragging Colin behind her. She put on her best panicked face and slid to a stop in front of the woman talking rapidly pitching her voice to anxious...it wasn't much of a stretch. "Oh, ma'am, you don't know how glad we are to see you. You see we were just going to take a little cat nap and we ended up falling asleep up in the stacks studying last night and neither of us heard the warning bell and when we woke up everyone was gone and we were locked in the library and I was so scared that if we tried to break out they would arrest or something. Now Fred here was sure they would go easy on us but you know how unreasonable the security guys can be.... they kind of give me the creeps." She stopped and gasped in a breath her eyes convincingly wide with panic...there would be need for panic if this ploy didn't work.

The poor woman looked totally buffaloed like she had just been hit by a blast out of left field. Colin caught on to the story and patted Rory on the arm before turning his most suave voice on the older woman "I'm sorry about my girlfriend, she gets a little worked up about these things. We really didn't mean to get stuck in here, I don't know how we slept through the bell, but we would REALLY appreciate it if you could help us out."

He could see the woman softening but she still had questions. "What were you two doing in the stacks so late at night."

Rory gave Colin a worried look and then stammered a reply "I...we. Its just more comfortable up there to study you know, I have this long paper to write, and Fred was helping me and well, you know...." she trailed off, the stammer might have been real but the effect was perfect. The woman raised an eyebrow at them and Rory could practically read the thoughts as they crossed her brain about exactly what they had been doing in the stacks. Rory blushed, embarrassed even by the implication but hoped that it was worth it.

The woman seemed to be considering her options. Finally she relented with a sigh and then her look turned stern. "Okay, I will let you out this time and this can remain just between the three of us but don't let it happen again. There can be serious consequences and next time you might not find such a sympathetic ear. Now follow me." She escorted them towards the exit and Colin quirked an eyebrow at Rory in admiration. She winked at him and then pasted a relieved expression on her face.

When they got to the door and the woman opened it with a keyed password she turned and grabbed the woman's hand and pumped it up and down enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, we won't forget this. We really owe you, and I promise it will never happen again.... thanks so much..." she paused "I'm sorry what was your name?"

"Judith" the woman said looking pained as she tried to extricate her hand from Rory's surprisingly strong grip.

"Judith" She pointed to herself and Colin "Fred and....Ginger." It slipped out before she could catch it, she continued quickly before it could sink into the woman's brain " We won't forget you. You are a life saver."

Colin clapped a hand on the woman's shoulder and added his thanks as well, incidentally the combination of movements unbalanced the stack of papers in the poor woman's hand and they fell in a shower around her. She pulled her hand away from Rory's and looked down, dismayed at the mess. When she looked up again the two students were gone. Sheglanced around perplexed but then hurriedly closed the doors and began to gather her papers.

Rory and Colin stood around the corner of the building trying desperately to contain their laughter. Colin gave Rory the first real smile she had seen from him as he eyed her with mirth "Well Ginger, I'd have to say that was a pretty excellent showing for your first major subterfuge." He cocked an eyebrow "Are you sure this is your first time being a criminal?"

She gave a small curtsy "I think half the credit goes to you my dear Fred and yes it is my first time being a criminal, I didn't say it was my first time making up a good story. Fantasy land was practically my second home growing up and I learned at the feet of a master."

"Fred and Ginger though? That was risky."

"I think I was channeling my mother."

He looked curious "Someday I am going to have to meet this mother of yours, she sounds.... unique."

Rory rolled her eyes glad the tension between them had eased a bit "You have no idea. Just ask Logan, he met her and I'm sure he is still reeling."

The look Colin gave her was one of blank incomprehension "Logan met your mother?"

She suddenly bit her tongue. It seemed that Logan hadn't told his buddies about his little sojourn to Stars Hollow which meant that he might not have told them about the deal. Now that was something to think about.

She changed the subject quickly. "We had better get going if we want to write that poem and get to the meeting point by nine. Do we have chalk?"

Still perplexed by the previously elucidated information and her quick avoidance of the subject Colin wanted to ask more but he saw her point when he glanced at his watch. The trek through the library had taken longer than anticipated and they only had 15 minutes to finish before they were supposed to meet the car. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed her a piece of sidewalk chalk. When they reached the center courtyard they opened the book and both crouched down and began to write frantically. There were a few students meandering the courtyard now but most seemed to be in a drunken haze or a caffeine deprived coma like state because no one even paused to give them a second glance. Either that or it was considered entirely commonplace to be writing a poem in chalk on the campus quad, anything was possible in New York.

They had just finished and were standing back to admire their artwork. "What is a Jabberwocky anyway?" Rory was about to answer when she saw a security guard out of the corner of her eye, and he was coming towards them.

"Uh, Fred.... I think we have company."

To her surprise Colin looked happy about this new development. "Perfect, this is going to be easier than I thought it would be. Just step back and watch a master at work Ginger." He gave her a conspiratorial wink. Before the security guard could get a word in edgewise Colin was striding towards him looking nothing but excited in his Columbia sweatshirt.

He was the model of politeness "Hello Sir, we were wondering if you could take a picture for us. We had to write this poem out here as a project for our creative writing class and we have to get a picture of us with it to show the teacher."

The guard hesitated for a moment looking doubtful about this explanation. He glanced from Colin to Rory and then down at the scribbled words. "It looks like a bunch of nonsense."

Colin laughed easily "That's what I thought too but its actually a famous passage from "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Caroll, he's the guy that wrote "Alice in Wonderland". Can you believe some of the stuff we pay tuition to learn. Well, anyway, we have this crazy professor who thinks that this is some exercise in creativity so here we are on a Saturday morning slaving away over concrete. And chalk"

The security guard seemed to be weighing the story. It certainly sounded somewhat plausible; who knew what crazy stunt the professors had come up with this time. The two young people in front of him looked innocent enough and it wasn't really causing any harm after all the chalk would wash off. He yielded and took the proffered camera phone. "How do I take the picture?"

Colin gave Rory a triumphant wink and then bent to show the man how to use the camera. Rory and Colin stood side-by-side at the top of the poem and grinned for the camera. Colin grabbed it quickly and smiled at the guard. "Can we get a picture of you too? Just to show who took the picture."

"Uh, sure." Colin snapped the picture and then proffered his hand to the guard. "Thanks man' he glanced at this badge "Stanley, thanks a lot you have been a great help.'

The girl gave him a smile as well and then they were walking away. The guard stood for a moment perplexed at what had just occurred, something was sort of funny about it. He called after them just as they thought they were in the clear "Hey, I didn't get your names, in case there are questions about this."

Colin turned and still walking backwards he yelled, "I'm Fred and this is Ginger."

"Okay, thanks." The guard looked puzzled. Colin turned back around and pushed Rory to walk faster.... it was a gamble he shouldn't have taken. The guard's voice rang out behind them "Wait!"

They exchanged a look and broke into a run. They had barely rounded the corner of one of the huge gates edging the main quad when a black SUV pulled to the curb in front of them. Colin grabbed the car door and swung it open, Rory leapt in and he quickly followed slamming the door behind them. Both of them ducked their heads so they were only partially visible.

Logan, Finn and Stephanie who were already seated in the car gave them both an assessing look. Logan was the first to ask in a dry voice "I take it there were a few problems?"

Colin pulled the contraband book out of his jacket and handed it to Logan. "Nothing that we couldn't handle, right Ginger?" this was accompanied by an exaggerated wink at Rory which caused her to start snickering. Colin swallowed a chuckle as he faced Logan's sour look. "We'll explain later.... just drive."

"Where too good sir?" asked Finn in a mocking voice form the driver's seat. "

"Anywhere but here James."

Logan considered them for a long moment. Colin and Rory laughing, together. He didn't like this development one bit.


	22. The Circus Comes to Town

Ch 22: The Circus Comes to Town 

Logan was, well he couldn't quite come up with the word for it but he settled on unsteady. He couldn't pinpoint the second the scales had started to tip but he felt that he was teetering on the brink...of what he wasn't sure.

Watching as Rory and Colin reenacted their daring escape from the librarian and Stephanie and Finn rolled in laughter he felt a disturbing disease. He, always at the center of their little ensemble suddenly felt like the outsider. He watched the group closely, for once the silent observer and was amazed at the ease with which his friends had welcomed Rory into their midst. The foursome, virtual strangers less than 24 hours ago now appeared to be fast friends. She seemed to fit here as easily as she had fit at the fancy party at her grandparent's house, at the hole in the wall diner in her small town and hard at work at the newspaper.

She had enchanted his normally jaded friends. It was what had drawn him to her in the first place. There was something honest and elusive about her that drew you into her spell. Then as soon as she had you up close and you thought you had her pegged she shifted, revealing a new complexity that changed your preconceptions yet again. Her smart wit and quick brain had quickly endeared her to his friends. He would almost have named the emotion coiling in his gut jealousy but he wasn't really sure at this point exactly who it was aimed at. All he knew was that he was going to have little talk with his so-called friends at the first opportunity.

He was caught in this loop of thought when Rory suddenly looked up and caught his eyes dead on. She flashed him a smile and for one of the first times since he had known her she looked happy. In fact she radiated with it. He almost felt the crackle in the air as if her gaze had given him an electric shock. The tingle stayed with him long after their gaze had broken.

Finn flipped on the stereo in the car and groaned when he heard the song. Colin and Rory said almost simultaneously "I love this song."

Rory turned to Colin with wide eyes "You like the Dandy Warhols?" her voice was unbelieving.

Colin gave her a playful look of scorn "What, you think just because I wear a blazer and loafers I can't have good taste in good music?"

"Uh, well the two are generally considered to be mutually exclusive, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you are just a repressed indie lover at heart and haven't mustered the couraged to come out of the Ralph Lauren yet. Do you like the White Stripes?"

Colin gave her a look that read as insulted although the others were already lost in the conversation "They are pretty good but not on my top five, lets see, this week I'd say the Strokes, the Shins, Rilo Kiley, Franz Ferdinand and okay, I have to admit to one guilty pleasure the Eels."

Rory's eyes had widened to the size of golf balls at this recitation and Logan feared that they might pop right out her head any second just like in the cartoons "Oh. My. God. Colin I swear if you bore even the slightest resemblance to a short Korean girl I would have to claim that you were my friend Lane's long lost twin. She is music junky, she even used to hide her huge cd collection under the floorboards in her bedroom because her mom is a religious fanatic and...." she stopped when she raelized she was rambling and had clearly lost her audience "Thats a story for another day, suffice it to say that she is an addict and she got me hooked long ago. She is a drummer in a band called the Hep Aliens. If you like the Dandy Warhols you would love them.' She paused and then linked her arm through Colin's " You know Colin; I think you and I might be kindred spirits after all. Perhaps it was fate that brought us together."

Logan noted with ill humor that she had conveniently forgotten that HE was the one who had brought them together; fate didn't have a damn thing to do with it.

The car pulled up next to the airstrip just then and they piled out of the car Colin and Rory continuing to jabber animatedly about music as they ascended the steps. Colin was too engrossed in one of his favorite topics to notice the frown on Logan's face but it did not escape the other two members of their group. Once they had climbed on to the plane they realized that they were the last ones there, the rest of their small contingent was already comfortably settled into their seats, most of them dozing.

They quickly chose seats, Stephanie and Finn taking one row and Colin and Logan both snagging single seats in empty rows. Rory was still chatting away to Colin but she automatically took the seat next to Logan and continued her conversation with Colin over the back of the seat. It was a telling action to anyone that was watching, and they all were. Stephanie gave Finn a quick look of triumph. Logan couldn't' help a small self-satisfied smile.

The pilot telling them to buckle up interrupted the conversation and after promising Colin an introduction to Lane, Rory dropped in to her seat and fastened the belt. She settled into her seat and leaned her head back on the headrest with a tired sigh. Logan, for once was hesitant to break the peace. They felt the plane taxi and then build up speed for take off. Soon they were in the air and winging towards their next adventure across the morning sky.

The threesome behind them were now engaged in a muffled conversation but Logan couldn't seem to focus on it. All he could think about was the jumble of strange feelings and the girl next to him that seemed to have with barely a push toppled his world on edge. She rolled her head to one side and regarded him with drowsy eyes, the lack of sleep obviously starting to catch up with her.

Her voice was low and soft and her eyes sparkled blue, "I had fun tonight Logan, It was scary but fun. Thanks."

His voice felt caught in his throat but he forced it out glad when it sounded halfway normal "I'm glad." He meant to add a light-teasing note but couldn't quite manage it. "You look tired, why don't you take a nap, we have a little time before we get to the next stop and we can't have the troops falling over in exhaustion mid-battle."

She smiled with her eyes already at half-mast "Yes sir. Where are we going by the way?"

He chuckled "Ah, now there is the Ace I know and love. Ever the curious reporter. Just sleep and you will find out when we get there. "

He winced at the words that had fallen from his lips but she didn't seem to notice already halfway to dreamland as she slumped over in her chair. Fifteen minutes later she was sprawled partway onto his lap, his arm was half asleep from where her head lay and she was snoring quietly. When he found this endearing rather than annoying he knew he was in serious trouble. He knew he should move but he couldn't seem to make his muscles obey his commands, the smell of her hair, the fell of her skin so close to his was intoxicating and he felt himself being pulled under by the current of heat. He watched her for a second, her dark eyelashes touched her pale skin and despite the snoring she looked angelic.

Finn walked by just then and it was the knowing smirk that he cast in his direction that had Logan quickly extricating himself from his position, careful not to wake Rory. He stood up and stepped cautiously over her slumped form and then stalked after his friend with a purposeful look in his eye. It was time for some answers.

He found Finn, Stephanie and Colin lounging around a small table in the back part of the plane. From the deck of cards in front of Finn he surmised that they were starting a game. Finn looked up, unsurprised at their new arrival "We've been expecting you."

"Deal me in." Logan said as he slid into the seat next to Stephanie.

"You don't even know what we are playing." Finn said with an admonishing glance.

"I don't care, just deal me in."

Finn very carefully dealt out five cards. Then he met Logan's questioning look. "This is our very own version of Go Fish with a twist."

Logan rolled his eyes "Go Fish is a kids game."

Finn gave him a wicked grin "Not the way we play it my friend. Now, this game serves two purposes, one to have fun...that should always be the number one goal of any undertaking and two, to answer some questions."

Logan looked at him a bit startled at this twist "Okay, what are the rules exactly? "

Stephanie took over here. "Well, it is sort of like a modified version of truth or dare, only in this game there is only truth. When ever you get a card from someone else you get to ask them a question, if you win the hand then you get to ask each person at the table a question. Each person gets one question that they can pass on." Logan had a bad feeling as he looked at his friends that this game had suddenly become a bit one sided...like three against one.

Logan got the first card from Stephanie. He was warming up to this idea. He pondered his first question. "Okay Steph, what exactly was Rory doing on a bar with a whip?"

Steph laughed and rolled her eyes "Guys are so predictable. We figured if we could get the attention of the bartender and at least one of the security guards that Finn could manage to slip by the other guard and get up the rope to the cage. So our little Woodward got up on the bar and did a little dominatrix dance, knocking people's drinks off the bar with the whip, I think she even smacked the bartender in the ass...it was highly amusing."

She and Finn both chortled at the memory. "And the fire?"

Steph waved a finger at him "uh, uh...one question at a time."

Colin got the next card from Finn and asked him the next question "How did you end up with whip cream all over you?"

Finn rolled his eyes in dramatic fashion "That is what I get for working with amateurs. As my illustrious apprentice mentioned Rory was quite effective as a distraction and I did managed to get a hold of one of the ropes, I was climbing up it when one of the gorilla men grabbed me and tried to pull me back down. In the ensuing scuffle I lost a few pieces of my wardrobe and I truly feared for my survival until Steph came running, my hero, come to save the day. Only problem was that all she had were a couple of cans of whip cream that she had grabbed from the bar. The other hiccup in the rescue mission that quickly became obvious is that our dear Stephanie, although possessed of many enviable talents can not count good aim among them."

Logan let out a crow of laughter now and pointed a finger at Steph "So you whip creamed Finn, on accident?"

Stephanie gave a droll wink "Who said it was an accident?"

Finn gave her a light shove on the shoulder and a flabbergasted gasp "I'm not playing with you anymore. I don't like you."

"Oh, come on Finney you know you loved every second in the limelight."

Finn recovered his composure enough to get the next card from Logan, he tapped the cards with a shark like gleam in his eyes "So Logan, do tell us, exactly what are your intentions towards the lovely Miss Gilmore?"

Logan was caught. "Isn't that kind of a vague question?"

Finn cocked an eyebrow...it wasn't often that you saw Logan evasive. "Okay, we'll start simple. You are pursuing her correct?"

Logan made a face and stared at his cards suddenly fascinated by the familiar patterns. "Yes."

Finn smirked "Very succinct. So..."

Logan cut him off with a triumphant smile "Only one question at a time remember."

Stephanie snorted in appreciation for the cunning move. It didn't stop her from taking the next card from Logan and continuing the interrogation "So what do you intend to do with her when you catch her?"

Logan had put himself in a corner "I don't know." The words were nearly a whisper. Steph strained towards him "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that correctly." He gritted his teeth "I don't know okay."

This caused silence to descend on the table. "I never thought I would hear it from his own mouth.... this is a red letter day indeed, did we just hear Logan Huntzberger admit that he didn't know something? That he doesn't in fact have every detail of his conquest planned from start to finish as we have come to expect of him."

Logan glared at them. "Sure, sure, mock me now, we'll see who bails you out of jail next time."

"Idle threats won't win you this round my friend."

In revenge Logan took the next card from Stephanie "So, Steph, tell me the truth, what kind of little underhanded scheme do you and Finn have going to corrupt Rory."

Stephanie gasped and looked morosely at Finn "It is a dark day when we are so maligned simply for trying to help a friend. We were simply trying to give your reporter girl a little push in the right direction."

Logan rolled his eyes "And I'm sure that the fact that you get to make a fool of me in the process had nothing to do with your machinations."

"Well, that did definitely add appeal to the plan but really it was all just for your sake."

Logan was unconvinced "All traitors fall back on denial as their defense of choice.'

Finn grinned, "I wouldn't say traitors so much as double agents. I get to be 007 though, he always gets all the women and frankly I don't think that Steph would enjoy that part as much as I would."

Colin had been silent for most of the game but now he won the next card from Logan and entered the fray. "Tell me Logan, how did you happen to meet Rory's mom?"

Logan, master of the mask of indifference looked surprised...and guilty for the first time that any of them could remember. Finn and Stephanie stopped their playful bickering mid-sentence. Finn turned curious eyes on Logan "Yes, do tell, this looks like it might be an intriguing story."

Logan sighed and looked around the table, obviously they weren't going to let him wiggle his way out of this one. He told them the story only leaving out a few tiny details...like the kiss. For once they were all rapt in their attention, there were no comments from the peanut gallery until the end of the tale at which point they all erupted into a frenzy of questions.

"So you were there when she and her boyfriend broke up?" leave it to a girl to zero in on that point.

"Yeah. Kind of a surreal situation."

Steph nodded as if a piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place "No wonder she was so pissed at what you said to the bartender guy.' That hadn't occurred to him in exactly that way before.

Colin cut to the point that interested him "What exactly does this deal of yours entail?" Finn interrupted "And why is this the first time we have heard about it? You've been holding out on us, your loyal accomplices. Shame on you. We will have to think of a punishment that befits this crime."

Logan shook his head at Finn's silliness but he pondered the question. Why hadn't he told them about the deal and the party and the trip to Stars Hollow? Maybe because he didn't really know what it all meant. It was at the end of that night that he had started to admit his attraction to ROry, they had even shared the briefest of kisses but since then there had been nothing but the usual banter. Of course that could be in part due to his bungled attempt to punch her friend or his purposeful avoidance of any overtones of flirtation. He had a lot to think about.

First he had to get rid of his curious onlookers. "So are we finished with the girl talk for now?"

Finn batted his eyelashes "Already? I was thinking we might paint each other's fingernails next" he held up his hands and considered his fingers "I'm a spring and I think I would look just smashing with pink sparkles, how about you Colin?"

Colin put a finger to his chin with a reflective look "I think I'm more of a whore red kind of guy myself."

Logan slapped a hand on each boy's shoulder "I'll leave you two to your makeovers."

Finn looked down his nose "Only a lesser man is afraid of his feminine side."

"Stephanie they are all yours. do leave them some male dignity though. " Logan said with a teasing grin and wandered back to the front of the plane where Rory still slept peacefully.

He spent the rest of the short flight alternately staring out the window and watching Rory sleep. She seemed to be out cold and when not even the plane landing jolted her out of sleep he decided to let her be for a bit longer. They other groups dispersed quickly to their various tasks and he waited already plotting his next move.

When Rory woke out of a dead sleep she was disoriented and she had a major cramp in her neck. She raised her head rubbing at the back of her neck with one hand as she took in her surroundings with eyes still fogged by the last wisps of sleep. Glancing out the window she suddenly realized that the plane was on the ground. She looked around and was surprised to find all the seats empty but the one across from her that was occupied by a smirking Logan who had his feet propped in the seat next to her.

His tone was a few shades too perky for her taste. "Nice of you to rejoin the land of the living Ace. For a few moments there I was afraid that you had stopped breathing and I might have to do CPR." He looked amused by this prospect. "Not that I would mind giving you CPR."

She struggled for an eye roll, "I don't do sexual innuendo before coffee. Where is everyone?"

Logan waved an airy hand in the direction of the outside world "They are off gallivanting and pursing mischief. Don't worry we will join them soon."

"What time is it? I'm afraid my internal clock has gone totally haywire at this point and it could be midnight for all I know."

"No worries, it is only 11:00, we still have plenty of time to prepare for our next debut."

he sounded too pleased with himself and she eyed him suspiciously as he rose from his seat. "I have a present for you" the glee in his voice did not sit well in her empty stomach. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him practically prance to the bulkhead in the back of the plane and extricate a large box. She did brighten marginally when she saw him grab a large paper cup as well and pour coffee into it from a large carafe.

He came back to his seat and handed her the cup, she could smell the coffee steam rising to tickle her nostrils, like ambrosia. She took a careful sip and let it slide down her throat. Before she focused her eyes back on his face. "This is my present?" she asked, already suspecting the answer.

"No" his smile was devilish "That's the bribe to get you to wear the present."

She looked anxiously at the box. Who knew what was in it, given Logan's sense of humor it could be anything. She watched him rest his chin on his steepled fingers as he regarded her with an expression that bordered on villainous. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully but in the end curiosity got the best of her.

"Okay, Dr. Evil, you win. Show me what's in the goody box." She set her coffee aside as he pushed the box towards her and slowly opened the tape on it before folding back the top. "It won't bite right?" she asked with a diffident glance in his direction. He smirked silently.

She reached in cautiously and pulled out a bulldog head, her other hand came up with a fur covered suit. She looked at him perplexed but her expression turned to horror when she saw what remained in the box. "Please tell me that I get to be the bulldog." She pleaded.

Logan grinned with devious delight and reached in to pull out the blue and white cheerleaders uniform. "Sorry, Ace, I don't think it's my size."

Rory gingerly gripped one edge of the cheerleader's skirt with two fingers touching it like she might a bomb, which she feared might explode at any second. The sheer repugnance on her face was comical. "It is going to take an exponentially larger amount of caffeine to bribe me to wear this."

"Come on Ace, I think you'll make a great cheerleader.... you just have that peppy, all American girl look about you. You are a shoe in for the part."

The glare she sent his way could have easily sliced him in two. "Gilmore's don't do pep, we mock those who have pep, the only thing we jump up and down for is coffee and pie " she said with a hiss.

Logan looked apologetic "Well, that is sad, to have come this far and be vanquished by a silly little skirt. I guess we all have our phobias." He took the outfit back regretfully.

He was egging her on. Her mind knew it but the scathing lecture that she delivered to her pride clearly had no effect and said pride soon took on a life of its own and kidnapped her voice as its pawn. "What do we have to do?" she heard the traitorous voice ask. Apparently the hands had been hijacked as well because they, in clear defiance of the admonition by her rational brain reached out and grabbed the offending articles of clothing. She groaned. It seemed she had been defeated by a coup and the voice reigned victorious.

Logan's grin spread for ear to ear and he reminded her of the diabolical Joker in Batman. "We are going to crash a football game."

An inkling of suspicion rose in her mind "Where are we exactly?"

"Why Boston of course."

She was out of her seat and peering out the windows "Tell me you are not insane enough to crash a Harvard football game dressed as the Yale mascot!"

"Sorry, no can do and don't forget it's not me...its we."

"We'll be tarred and feathered for sure." he was unmoved by this prospect.

She rolled her eyes to the heavens praying for forgiveness. "Fine, where do I get dressed." He pointed to the back of the plane and she turned on her heel with a loud huff.

Ten minutes later she was back and she was beginning to regret ever meeting Logan Huntzberger. She should have taken one look at that smirk and hightailed it the other direction...even if that did involve running. She reached Logan sitting in his bulldog outfit minus the head and he whistled as he took in her outfit. She sighed and was about to launch into a vitriolic rant on the degradation of women when she saw the smirk, he had a lot of smirks but she recognized this one, this was the one that said that he knew he had gotten under her skin. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Two could play this game... well...as they say, when in Rome.... she gave him a brilliant completely insincere smile and twirled in front of him "Does it meet with your approval?"

He nodded in appreciation "Just as I suspected Ace, there is a hidden cheerleader even in you. I knew you had what it took."

She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him "and what would that be exactly?"

"A sassy smile and a superior ass..."

The vehement look in her eyes stopped him as she looked frantically around the plane. "Looking for something?"

"Yeah, something big and sharp to hurl at you."

He just laughed. "Better get that hostility out of your system now. It would not behoove a cheerleader who represents our fine University to be seen with that particular expression on her face. Angry might work on me but I'm not sure the average sports fan will feel the same."

She stalked to the door but whirled when she got to the first step. "Promise me one thing Huntzberger or I am not stepping one foot off this plane."

He grinned at her "Anything to see you do the splits Ace."

"My mother can never see a picture of me in this outfit. I would never hear the end of the mocking."

"Damn and there goes my idea to post them on the Internet." The bulldog hit him with a resounding thud and he let out a little "oomph."

"Okay Handsome Dan lets get this circus on the road."

His laughter followed her down the steps. "Hold up Ace, you are forgetting the most integral part of your ensemble." The pom poms hit her in the back in a shower of plastic fringe. He was SO going to pay for this.


	23. An Epic Duel

Chapter 23: An Epic Duel 

An Epic Duel

Logan watched Rory stalk towards the car, the effect of her haughtiness somewhat dampened by the flouncing skirt and the pom poms and grinned to himself. The car ride was mundane enough. Or at least what was deemed mundane by their admittedly odd standards. Taunting remarks, sundry threatening retorts and Rory stewing over her current undesirable attire in a manner reminiscent of a five year old who has been told it could not go to the playground because it has a visit with the dentist. It only went down hill from there. They alighted from the car and stood staring put at the Harvard football stadium. Rory turned with a little shiver of apprehension to face her tormentor.

"Start explaining. What assignment required me to be seen in public in this ridiculous school spirit Barbie get up? It had better be good because I'm freezing my butt off in this skirt." Logan had staunchly refused during the car trip to expound on the details of their charge.

Logan gave her a teasing look "Come on Ace, time put on your game face, I am sensing a certain lack of effervescent cheeriness. Surely it can't be all that bad?"

"People have died for less." She continued in a thoughtful tone "Now that you mention it though I have to ask. How did the onus of this particular chore fall on me? I am hardly the epitome of ebullience and I am at best athletically challenged. Don't you think that Stephanie is more the poster girl for pep?"

She wasn't far from the truth, Stephanie had originally been cast in this particular role and it had been Finn's idea to swap her for Rory. He was beginning to see the genius behind Finn's own special brand of lunacy. The stakes in this particular game had just gone up. It would have been too easy to do this with a seasoned pro like Stephanie; this was much greater challenge.

"I don't know Ace, you've definitely got the vim down, you are just a little heavy on the vinegar. Lucky for you this role doesn't actually require any cheeriness. Maybe just a few gratuitous high kicks."

She gave him a sour look. "You'll be lucky if I don't kick you before the end of the day. Enough tongue in cheek slander. The sooner we complete our errand the sooner I can burn this outfit in effigy."

Logan cleared his throat around a chuckle as he pictured the bonfire, he could just see Rory cackling with glee as the offending garment went up in flames.

"Our mission, should we choose to accept it is to successfully challenge the Harvard mascot to a duel and steal his head."

She gaped at him. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

She was dumbfounded "You want to steal the Mad Puritan's head?"

He sighed in a long-suffering fashion "Let me guess, this in some way upsets your sense of propriety?"

Rory hesitated "Well, it does seem sort of, I don't know, unsportsmanlike I guess."

He gave her a disbelieving look "You do know you go to Yale right? As a member of the prestigious Bulldogs you are by definition the arch enemy of the Crimson cantabs?"

She pouted "I have a soft spot for Harvard, okay. You made your point. Now how are we going to get into the game in these outfits?"

He considered the question as he stared up at the football stadium "I guess repelling in out of helicopters is out of the question" she smacked him on the arm

"Very funny James, now how do we really get inside?"

He brandished two game tickets. "Actually that's the easy part, we have tickets."

"Okay, right.... so how do we get on to the field? I'm guessing they aren't just going to let us skip on by with a smile."

"How did you know?"

She looked at him perplexed "Did you bribe them or something?"

He shook his head in distress "Sadly no, my inside man on the Harvard Security squad retired last year. He is greatly missed I assure you."

She couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.

"We are using our most secret and deadly weapon, your feminine wiles."

She looked around as if unsure that he was talking to her and then put a finger to her chest "My feminine wiles?" Her tone implied that she was concerned that he might have suffered a stroke that had impaired all his important cognitive processes...not her voice noted, that there were that many of them to begin. This might very well be a fatal loss.

"You are the only female in present company are you not?"

She nodded slowly in the affirmative "Yes, that is biologically correct, however, it seems that I was born without the flirty, starry eyed, giggling gene. My mom, the self-annoited priestess of seduction tried to teach me the whole routine but the farthest she ever got was the strategic hair flip. I think she gave me up as a lost cause. I am without discernible wile. Not even the slightest bit wiley...and yes, I do know that is not actually a word but when faced with a situation such as this sometimes one must improvise."

Logan gave her somewhat surprised looked at her adamant voice, sure that she was pulling his leg but when this was met with her earnestly anxious expression he had a sudden realization. Rory had no idea how effective her feminine wiles were on him or countless other hapless members of the male sex. Her artless innocence wasn't really artless at all it was sheer cluelessness. In this particular department she might just be as disconcertingly naive as she seemed. He was a little embarrassed actually that he, the great Logan Huntzberger, renowned killer of ladies, eligible bachelor extraordinaire had been brought to his knees by an amateur, of course, that was probably part of the allure of Rory. He shook his head in amazement she was dangerous enough as it was if she ever figured out her full power she would be a force to reckon with.

He forced his mind back from it's little sojourn and focused on the conversation. He patted her arm reassuringly "Don't worry Ace, I happen to be an expert on feminine wiles and with a few tips from me you will have the guards eating out of your hands." He assessed her like an artist about to put the first delicate stroke of paint onto a blank canvas. "How are you at crying on cue?"

"Maybe you should just wear the skirt." She said in a pleading voice. "I think you would look great in blue."

"Sorry blatant obsequiousness won't win you this one. Besides, I'm an autumn, and blue just is not my color. Now let me fill you in on the script for this little bit of theater." They bent their heads together and he explained the details of the plan.

She looked at him with worried eyes when he was finished. "I don't know, I have never been very good at lying and I am definitely no Blanche Dubois." She thought for a long moment before giving him a sideways glance. "Hey, wait a minute, if that is the plan then why do I have the pom poms?"

He shrugged and feigned innocence "You never know when they might come in handy as a weapon."

She put her hands on her hips "You are enjoying my humiliation a little too much for my taste."

He chuckled but quickly changed the subject back to the original topic. "Trust me Ace, stick with your strengths and you can't go wrong. One look with those baby blues and you will have those security guards on their knees."

He could tell she didn't believe him. How had he gotten himself in this mess? It was like giving little orphan Annies lessons in seduction. He had a feeling he was going to regret this little apprenticeship.

"Just picture yourself as the tragic heroine, Juliet with her Romeo or Catherine pining for Heathcliff." The wide eyed look would have reduced his knees to jelly if he hadn't steeled himself against it. Damn it was no fair going up against a beginner. At least with a seasoned coquette he knew they were on a level playing field and the rules were pre-determined. With Rory there were no rules to speak of.... only the cardinal one.... do unto others...or some such nonsense. He shuddered to think what she would do to him.

She narrowed her eyes slightly at him as she watched his face. "If I didn't know better I might actually think that you had read those books. Are you a closet Classics junkie? Have you been sneaking into the libraries late at night for your book fix? Maybe that is why you spend all your time at the paper napping. You are making up for lost sleep becaue you spend every night having clandestine rendezvous with the heroines of yore. I think you are more of a student than you like to pretend.... in fact I would bet Luke's coffee on it."

This threw him off for a moment "Luke's coffee? Why wouldn't you just bet money?"

She gave him a look that clearly said that she pitied his ignorance "Luke's coffee is the main currency in the Gilmore girl domain. Why bother betting money when you just end up using said money to buy Luke's coffee...this way it is less hassle...you just cut to the chase and get the coffee without the extra effort."

"Oh, well, now it's perfectly clear. You know what Ace, I think you and your mother should be studied."

"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment."

"Your prerogative.

"You know I've noticed that you do use a lot of big words. I bet you are one of those guys who got a 1500 on your SATs and never studies a lick! You just play the rich guy skating through school. You know what I think." She gave him a wicked grin as she delivered her killing blow "I think that you are secretly a lover of literature."

He looked so appalled that she burst into laughter and he hurriedly shushed her with a hand over her mouth. "I am begging you can we please get back to hatching our little plan and stop the spreading of vicious rumors involving my literary habits and SAT scores. My reputation would never survive the scandal."

"Okay Mr. Darcy what ever you say."

He answered without thinking "Yes, Elizabeth, now can we PLEASE..."

She pointed a victorious finger at him and crowed with glee "See, I knew it!"

At his censuring look she subsided "Okay back to work boss. Let's say your little ruse works to get me onto the field, how are you going to get out there? You are hardly inconspicuous in that costume?"

"Don't worry about me, I have friends in high places. Besides you are going to provide me a little distraction."

"I guess I can't think of any other impediments to success, except logic of course."

"Suspension of disbelief is a beautiful thing." He gestured gallantly for her to precede him "All the world's a stage my dear. Its time for your ten minutes of fame."

"Well, I guess the fitting salutation is break a leg. I just hope I don't break mine." The last part came out in a worried mutter.

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before she approached the gate with her ticket clutched nervously in her hand. The guard did pause briefly as he took in her garb but she sent him what she hoped was a friendly smile and he let her pass. She sighed with relief. The easy part was over, now for the hard part.

She approached the tunnel that led towards the field from the dressing rooms and entered it a bit apprehensively. No boogey men or monsters jumped out at her immediately so she tentatively continued. As expected she was met at the entrance to the field by a burly security guard with a grim expression. Apparently he wasn't a big Bulldog's fan.

She swallowed nervously and then stepped forward. He looked her up and down suspiciously and said in a snide tone "I think you must be lost miss. Only players and staff are allowed on the field during the game"

She took a careful breath remembering Logan's instructions, big eyes, tears, batting eyelashes...here went nothing. She went the easy route first with her most innocent expression...Bambi would have been proud. "Uh, I'm sorry sir, I am here to see Mark, and he told me that I could get in this way."

"Who?" his look was menacing and in silhouette he looked like an ogre guarding the entrance to some mythical castle.

She shivered but then pressed onward. "You know, the guy who plays the pilgrim, the Harvard mascot. I think he put my name on some list or something."

He paused and looked down at a clipboard in his hand "What did you say your name was?"

She craned her neck as if trying to see the list "Krissy, with a K, my real name is Kristiana but that's just horrid sounding so I go by Krissy." She babbled brightly as he scanned the list but stopped when he looked back at her with a shake of his head

"There is no Krissy on this list."

On to step 2, "What do you mean? He promised me that he would put my name on the list." She began to pace in an agitated fashion working up to hysteria "how could he not put me on the list. He promised. What does this mean? The jerk has probably forgotten my name." She stopped dead as she saw the mascot prancing down one side of the field towards the cheerleaders...here was her chance, she charged for the field but was stopped by a beefy hand on her upper arm as she was spun back to face the guard.

"I'm sorry miss, I don't know what this is about but this is a football game and I can't let you on the field unless you are on the list."

She didn't have to fake the tears after all as his hand bit into her arm "But you don't understand, I have to see him , I can't believe that jerk, all the promises he made me and look." She pointed her other hand in the general direction of the field, she could feel his hand loosening slightly at the sight of her tears. She turned up the pitch of hysteria in her voice "He's probably out there flirting with some other bimbo as we speak and here I am a pathetic mess over some idiot that probably doesn't even remember my name."

She wiped her eyes helplessly with her free hand and lowered her voice to desperate and heartbroken. "You must think I am totally silly and pathetic but I love him, or at least I thought I did. I didn't know him very long but I thought what we had was special. He said he loved me and now...now" she let out a loud sob and had the guard dropping her arm and reaching for a handkerchief She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she accepted the tissue and made a big show of wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

She was amazed at the look of panic on the formerly dangerous looking guard. It seemed this was another area that she would have to bow in deference to Logan's superior knowledge. As he had correctly predicted it seemed even large scary looking men had a fatal defect in their emotional makeup...they hated to see a woman cry. She sniffled again and then looked up at him with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry...Mr....I'm sorry what's your name?"

He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder with a large hand clearly feeling out of his league with hysterical females. "Frank, just call me Frank." He was trying to soothe her, which was kind of sweet, but she could see his eyes darting in desperation, looking for someone, anyone to save him.

"I'm sorry Frank, I don't mean to bother you, its just...well, I don't know what to do" she paused for effect and to add another swallowed sob "About the baby." This was accompanied by another onslaught of silent sobbing.

"Baby?" he stuttered and then looked angrily at the field. She put her head down in shame but saw his face through her lashes. He looked totally buffaloed and angry for her. She could see as clearly as day the switch in his loyalties, in that instant he had become her champion, . She gave a mental cheer. She was probably going to hell for this, but just might work after all. "You mean to tell me that jerk got you pregnant?"

She nodded with a shamed face "I guess its my fault as much as his, I shouldn't have believed him, its just he seemed so sweet and so kind. Not like the other guys. My friends are always telling me that I am just too naive for my own good but I never believe them."

Now he looked like he would gladly pummel the pilgrim for her. She felt a little pang of guilt...but she was too far in to stop now. "What did he say when you told him? Don't tell me he told you to get rid of it."

She looked up anxiously and now she lay a reassuring hand on his burly arm "No, no, he doesn't even know yet. I was coming here today to tell him." She could see him hesitate torn in two directions

"Can't you wait until after the game?"

She had already thought of that one "No, my parent's are here with me and we are planning on leaving for Connecticut in an hour. After the game it will be too late. I figured this might be my only chance to see him and talk to him without my father there with his finger on the trigger. I don't want to force myself on him...until I saw this display I was hoping it would at least be a happy reunion." She watched the cheerleader and the mascot on the field for a long minute, letting her eyes display a tragic and wistful look "I guess I am on my own." She turned with a dejected sigh. "Thanks for listening Frank. I am so sorry for crying all over you, I am just such a mess." She turned and with a slumped shoulders and dragging feet and started to walk back the way she had come, the picture of despair.

She only got two steps before his voice stopped her. "Miss, wait. It's not right that you should have to deal with this by yourself. That asshole should have to take responsibility for his actions."

She was still facing the other direction so he couldn't see the exultant smile that lit her face for a brief flash before she schooled her features back to forlorn. 'What do you mean Frank? Will you help me talk to him?"

He hesitated a second longer and then she could see him crack "Yeah, I will help you."

She threw himself into his arms hugging him tightly "Oh, Frank, you don't know how much this means to me. Thank you so much. How can I ever repay your kindness?" she was babbling as he tried to extricate himself from the embrace.

He finally gave her a little push forward towards the field. "Just don't mention my name okay. I could get fired for this. Now you go find that jerk and tell him a thing or two, and don't let him sweet talk you. Thos Ivy league devils think they can get away with anything."

So true she thought as a picture of Logan flashed in her mind. This little acting session was proof positive that he was an expert at psychoanalysis at least of the male psyche. She only hoped he never tried to analyze her. That was the stuff of nightmares.

She turned with a last wave "I won't forget you Frank." She had a feeling she wouldn't be forgetting any of this weekend for a long time.

She blew him a kiss before she stepped out on the field and made her way resolutely towards the Harvard sidelines. There was no time for self-congratulations now; it was time for step three.

When Rory came walking out of the tunnel and down the sideline of the field with no brute squad in pursuit Logan breathed a sigh of relief. Despite his words of encouragement he had entertained a few doubts about her ability to win over the guard. She must have played it well though because soon he saw the gigantic security guard follow her out a few steps to stand at the entrance to the field. He looked ready to tear someone's arms off in Rory's honor. He would be wise to remember this lesson and stay on Miss Gilmore's good side; she seemed to have a knack for attracting allies from the least likely sources.

Colin nudged him from behind and he watched as Rory approached the Harvard mascot who was surrounded by a gaggle of cheerleaders. He had to admire her acting skills; even from here he could see that she practically radiated anger. He would not want to be that poor mascot when she cornered him. Luckily the crowd hadn't really noticed the scuffle brewing so she had a few minutes to set the stage. Whatever she said to the mascot when she reached him had the girls parting before her like the Red Sea before Moses and he guessed from the look on the poor mascot's face that he was about to have a religious experience.

Rory grabbing the huge head of John Harvard and attempting to kick it down the field was amusing enough, when she missed and kicked the poor guy in the shin instead Colin doubled over beside him convulsing with mirth. "Who knew Gilmore could do physical comedy? She is good."

Logan gave him a dubious look "Beginners luck."

Colin grabbed the binoculars out of Logan's hands and totally ignored his comment as he watched with rapt attention as the drama unfolded on the far side of the field. Rory grabbed the head with both hands and hurled it as far down the sidelines as she could, whether intentional or not the resulting bounce and roll that landed the head mid football field was nothing short of brilliant. "Genius." Colin whispered.

Logan shook his head in disbelief. Colin had a point. Leave it to Gilmore to even be good at being bad. "Yeah, she is a regular idiot savant." He grabbed the binoculars back from Colin and gave a sardonic little laugh. "Don't award the MVP trophy just yet though Colin. She has passed her first little test with flying colors, lets see what happens when we up the ante a little."

With his eyes glued to Rory's face he gave the signal. "Lights, action, camera..." suddenly Rory's voice rang out in surround sound and the electronic scoreboards blipped once in protest before displaying a close-up shot of the soap opera playing out on the field. Logan smiled in appreciation at the triumph. Seth, the resident techie of the LDB was a verifiable genius.

He saw Rory's head snap around scanning the display and the instant narrowing of eyes, her nostrils flared ever so slightly and he congratulated himself on having the forethought to be on the other side of the field where her foot was far away from the more sensitive parts of his anatomy.

"Come on Gilmore, keep your eye on the ball." he murmured to no one in particular.

Rory turned back to the clueless boy and advanced on him with her hands on her hips the picture of righteous indignation. He was hopping on one leg, still holding the injured shin but he tried to make some sense of what was happening "Who are you?" he asked in a bewildered voice.

"Who am I? Who Am I?" It was said in a near glass-shattering contralto. "I can't believe your nerver...asking who I am, after the nights we shared together."

She poked a hard finger into the boy's chest and he dropped his leg and stumbled back a step. "Does the name Krissy ring any bells?" she said voice dripping rage and implicitly threatening violence. The boy looked like he was actually thinking about it and she rolled her eyes and all pity dissolved. If he couldn't even remember the names of the girls he had slept with then he deserved this comeuppance. She could practically hear the collective held breath in the crowd as they all waited for his answer.

"No."

It came out a soft guilty admission, and she repeated it on an incredulous shout "No? No? Those were some of the best days of my life and you are saying you don't remember me? I suppose you don't think you should help me with the baby either." She put her head in her hands and dissolved into tears. The crowd gasped, this poor guy was never going to live this moment down. She caught sight out of the corner of her eye of another set of security guards coming down the tunnel at a run but Frank, her loyal guard dog stopped them and she could see them conversing. She was sure of it now, this was going on God's roll books somewhere, she was going to hell for this. She was amazed when his powers of persuasion clearly worked and the other two guards subsided into stillness in identical stances of anger, arms crossed, legs spread wide.

She turned back and for the first time she caught a clear glimpse behind the mascot. She was speechless for a full second when she recognized the blonde girl practically wrapped around him. "You?" the shock was completely unfeigned as Darcy, dressed in a Harvard cheerleader's uniform and looking every inch the perfect Barbie doll gave her a secretive wink. Her mouth must have dropped open because she sucked in a lungful of cold air. Obviously Logan had left out a few key details in his run down of the plan. She was going to have a few choice words for him if they got out of this alive.

Since she was still knocked off her rhythm Darcy happily took up the reigns practically purring as she rubbed up against the startled boy "Just who do you think you are charging in here and making these ridiculous claims about poor Mark here?"

Rory regained her tongue with venom " Who are you the next slut of the week?"

Darcy's face was smug "you had better watch who you call a slut honey, I'm his girlfriend." She emphasized the word and Rory could practically hear the neener neener in the priggish tone.

"Are you calling me a whore?" Rory demanded in a tone that implied that she was barely controlling her fury...in truth she was barely controlling the guffaw that was lodged in her chest by sheer will alone.

Darcy, playing the role to the hilt stepped forward and gave Rory an insolent once over "If the cheap stiletto fits honey." The tone was contemptuous.

Going with the momentum Rory hauled back to slap her across the cheek; Darcy stopped her hand a scant inch from her face and gave her a derisive sneer. "Go home and play with your dolls honey, if that is the best you can do you better leave the playing field to the big girls." There was a frozen moment. All pretense of a football game had ceased entirely.

Mark the unwitting victim was looking wildly from one girl to the other and saw his life flash before his eyes and he prayed to god that his parents never saw this game footage, ever. He didn't know these girls, he was tongue-tied, things were snowballing out of control and he was helpless to stop it. He put a hand on Darcy's shoulder but she shrugged it off carelessly and continued to stalk towards Rory.

"You want to fight Princess, come on, bring it on."

Rory wasn't exactly a street fighter; the closest she had ever come to kung fu was the chicken variety from Al's Pancake World when he was featuring Chinese cuisine. Darcy gave her a light shove and as she stumbled back she did the first thing she could think of and threw her pom pom at the other girls head. The flying fringe momentarily obscured her vision and when she tried to spin towards Mark the mascot she miscalculated her aim and launched her other pom into the rest of the gathered cheerleading squad. She stumbled over a water bottle on the ground and felt herlsef falling. For once her lack of coordination was a boon. She managed by sheer luck to take Darcy down with her and they landed in a graceless heap with arms and legs and pom poms twisted. Rory was pretty certain there was going to be a shot on national television of her underwear. Thank god she wasn't wearing a thong.

Darcy gave her a sardonic look as they untangled their legs and whispered, "Good show kid, but you fight like a girl." The mascot was pacing nervously in front of the two fallen combatants and the attention of the whole cheerleading squad was focused on them as they leaned over his back.

Logan looked at Colin and winked. "I think that's our cue my friend. Its time for a little chivalry of the type long lost in the annals of history."

Darcy and Rory picked themselves up and straightened their skirts before they started circling one another. Rory felt a little like a WWF wrestler, maybe her stage name could be Lorelei the Lusty or ... No one saw Logan until it was too late. He came out of nowhere at a run and landed a hard left on the pitiable Mark's face.

Suddenly darcy and Rory were back to being bystanders. Mark gave the new arrival in the bulldog costume with a stupefied look. Rory figured at this point he was only praying that this was all some nightmare he would wake up from back in the land of sanity. "You hit me?!" he said in a whine with a hand cradling his cheek where Logan's punch had landed with a resounding thud. "Who the hell are you?"

Logan stepped right into his face in a menacing stance. "I am Krissy's big brother and I am about teach you a lesson or two about messing with a Finkelstein." Darcy and Rory tried resolutely not to look at one another determined not to lose the battle with laughter. It was like being in the middle of a Jerry Springer show and clearly the rest of the crowd was equally entranced.

"What do you have to say for yourself man?" Logan asked the dazed Mark with a shove.

Mark finally found his voice again "I...I don't even know you people. I don't know your sister or this crazy blonde who claims she is my girlfriend. This is all just a huge mistake I swear.' He was shaking his head and backing away, clearly trying to get as far from the lunacy surrounding him as possible.

Logan wouldn't let him have an inch and stepped back threateningly into his personal space "You disgust me. Not only have you cruelly used my sweet innocent sister but you are a liar and coward on top of it and you are dressed like a fucking Pilgrim for god's sake, do you have no pride?" this got a gasp of shock form the crowd who seemed to be of mixed loyalty at the moment.

Mark clearly didn't see a great way out of this situation that didn't risk him being flayed alive by either this crazy bulldog or his parents. He stuttered as he looked at Rory and said the first thing that came to his mind "She doesn't look that innocent to me."

Those were fighting words. Logan grasped the front of the pilgrim costume and hauled his opponent up a good inch off the ground until their noses practically touched. He was just getting in to the role, playing the protective elder brother to the max now. "Surely you did not just insult my baby sister."

Mark's eyes bugged out of his head. "Ugh." was about all that came out.

"That's what I thought."

Logan looked up and saw the rest of the cheerleaders and a group of Harvard football players looming at the Mark's back. Logan released him in contempt and he stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance. Logan gripped his hands behind his back and began to pace in front of him like a judge and jury trying to decide his sentence.

"Well, Mark, it seems we have ourselves a little problem here. In the name of family honor I am duty bound to beat you to a pulp" he gave him an assessing look "but its pretty clear that you wouldn't stand up long in hand to hand combat and I do so hate a quick ending to a fight like this. Plus" he waved magnanimously at the assembled Harvard athletes "I would hardly wish to reenact the nastier parts of West Side Story since we are slighlly out numbered." Rory hoped that Logan knew what he was doing because "slightly outnumbered" was the understatment of teh century and she really did not care to call mother from the Emergency Room after being tackled by a thre hundred pound football player.

Logan continued. "I think we should end this quickly so these nice fellows can get back to their little game." He stopped suddenly as if struck by a brilliant idea. The bulldog head covered his face but Rory had no doubt that his lips were curved in a sly smile. "I've got it. The perfect solution. It defends my sister's tarnished honor and it gives you at least a tiny chance at survival." he held out a hand to Mark and said in a grandiose tone " Mark, I challenge you to a duel."


	24. Lights, Camera

Previously on The Point of Being Young:

Logan continued. "I think we should end this quickly so these nice fellows can get back to their little game." He stopped suddenly as if struck by a brilliant idea. The bulldog head covered his face but Rory had no doubt that his lips were curved in a sly smile. "I've got it. The perfect solution. It defends my sister's tarnished honor and it gives you at least a tiny chance at survival." he held out a hand to Mark and said in a grandiose tone " Mark, I challenge you to a duel."

Mark's dumbstruck look implied that he was quite certain that an alien ship had landed mid field and they had all just disembarked after a long journey from mars. Rory was pretty sure he was checking for those little green antennae as he gave Logan a bug eyed stare.

He looked around desperately for help but found no hero or savior among the enthralled crowd. At this point no one was willing to stop the soap opera on the field. Truthfully this was the best entertainment that had been had at a Harvard Football game for as long as anyone could remember.

After a long pregnant pause Logan sighed and dropped his hand.

"Okay, you are right, I was trying to cut off some time but if you insist I will make the challenge with the proper etiquette." With a big show of impatience he pulled off the paw of the bulldog costume and threw it at Mark's head. It bounced off his forehead and landed in his arms.

Logan gave him a satisfied look. "You didn't pick it up but I think that counts.You have accepted my challenge. Now on the the next order of business."

He might as well have been speaking in tongues for all the comprehension on Mark's face.

Logan continued without preamble "According to the rules we must now each chose a second. I chose Sir Fred the Light footed. Come forth Sir Fred."

At this summons Colin came trotting towards them wearing a suit of chain mail and a metal helmet. Rory rolled her eyes; they had passed right by the turn off for ludicrous and were headed straight for burlesque. Monty Python would have been proud. At this point it was only slightly incongruous that he was wearing tap shoes and carrying two light sabers. She did, however, have to give credit where credit was due. Not just anyone could have worked Fred Astair into a medieval duel. She nodded appreciatively in Logan's direction and he gave here shallow bow.

Colin took over the speaking now, as was only fitting for the Second. "Have you chosen your second?" he directed this at the somewhat sick looking Mark.

"Uh."

Colin looked at Rory "Not the most eloquent chap I've ever met...apparently love is not only blind but deaf."

Rory nodded tragically "We didn't tdo much talking.... if you know what I mean."

She saw Colin swallow a quick laugh as Mark managed to look slightly affronted. Logan sighed, "We are wasting precious time, since our Casanova here seems incapable of choosing a champion I say we appoint one."

Colin nodded in agreement and added in a scholarly tone "I think that would be allowed under the little known In Omnia amendments to the offical Rules of Engagement."

Logan nodded sagely "I concur. Lucky for Romeo here I have just the candidate in mind. Sir Fred fetch our fine furry friend won't you?"

Rory recognized her next cue and ran towards Logan who was pacing off steps seemingly with every intention of having a fencing match. She grabbed his arm and pulled at in anxiously stepping into her role as defender. "Come on Mac, don't do this. He isn't worth it."

Logan brushed her off. "He impugned your honor, he should have to pay the price. He should have known better than to screw a Finkelstein." He looked apologetic "No pun intended" the crowd roared.

The crowd, now on the edge of their seats quite literally watched with baited breath as Colin trotted, albeit it somewhat delicately in the tap shoes towards the opposing team's sideline from whence he had appeared. Princeton was the unfortunate team that had the dubious honor of being a witness to this farce but as it was not their home turf they had for the most part chosen, quite understandably to settle back and watch the show...you couldn't pay for better entertainment on a fine Saturday afternoon. This was shaping up to be ahell of a lot more fun than any silly old football game. The team was on its feet when Colin reached the Princeton Tiger who was sitting on the sidelines with the tiger head next to him on the bench.

Colin reached down and handed the head back to the mystified boy

"Now is no time to lose your head man, we've got a duel to attend to." The crowd groaned.

The Tiger seemed hesitant at first but soon acquiesced when the crowd roared its approval. There was clapping a few hoots of laughter when the sound system began to play "Eye of the Tiger". The tiger himself began to get into the spirit of things and trotted across the field making fists in the air ala Rocky IV.

Rory leaned surreptitiously towards Darcy and asked in a guarded whisper "This is fun and all but do you have any idea how we are going to get out of here alive?"

Darcy snickered and turned back to the stage that was being set. "Pilgrims and Tigers and Bulldogs, oh my. Watch and learn reporter girl, if we manage to pull this off it is going to go down in the history books of the LDB as one of the greatest stunts of all time. Just play along and a word of advice, worst case scenario, if Logan says run then run first and ask questions later."

Colin and the tiger reached the center of the field and Logan made a slashing motion against his neck that stopped the music abruptly. "Thank you to our Y2K compliant minstrel for that rousing anthem."

Then he turned to Colin "I assume you brought the weapons." Mark turned a particularly unattractive shade of green and looked like he might pass out.

Colin walked over the sidelines and pulled out two light sabers, one red and one blue. The crowd gasped in appreciation. He quickly trotted back towards center field and handed the weapons to the two combatants. Mark took his with shaking hands and Rory figured he was vowing silently that if he survived this day he would take a vow of celibacy and never have sex again.

Logan bowed once and then assumed the stance for the beginning of a fencing match.

Rory leaned in towards Darcy again "I didn't know Logan could fence. Where did he learn that, Swashbuckling 101?"

Darcy smirked "There's a lot you don't know about Logan, he is a man of many hidden talents." She cast a sideways glance at Rory "You've got a chance though, most girls never even see this much."

Rory didn't know how to respond to the bizarre insinuation so she turned her head back to the action on the field.

"En garde."

The two duelers started to circle on another. Mark looked completely out of his league and Rory was actually a little concerned that he might burst into tears at any moment. The duel itself was made quick work of when after a flurry of parries and ripostes the trembling Mark lost his grip on the saber.

Logan pointed the light saber at him "On your knees philanderer. I am the rightful victor of this duel and as such I have the right to decide your fate."

Mark fell to his knees, now openly sobbing. "I want my mom." Came over the speakers loud and clear right before the beginning of the music to "Always look on the bright side." Someone had definitely spent too much free time watching "The Life of Brian".

Rory rolled her eyes at the cliché. Logan looked at Colin "Well Sir Fred what should I do with this pathetic mass of a man?"

Colin relished his moment in the spotlight "Off with his head I say"

The entire stadium held its collective breath and Rory was with them all the way. She jumped half a foot when a loud, distinctly Australian voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Cut, Cut. That's a wrap folks."

Rory spun, mouth agape, towards the entrance to the field. Much to her shock her disbelieving eyes landed on Finn, Armani clad and wearing the ever-present sunglasses. He had a bullhorn to his lips and he was strutting towards center field looking for all the world as if he owned the place. Rory thought that if someone had pushed her with a feather right about then she would have dropped helplessly to the ground.

Finn continued in commanding voice "Great work people. That was just perfect, just the key scene we were looking for. Now let's break for lunch. We can pick up the rest back at the studio."

Logan grabbed the light saber from the thunderstruck, still blubbering Mark and patted him on the shoulder "Thanks man, you've been a good sport about this, hope they are paying you well." From the glassy eyed look Rory could tell that it was going to take the guy a good week to piece together what the hell had happened here today.

Colin and Logan started towards the end of the field and Darcy quickly followed with the still stunned Rory in tow. They paused just inside the tunnel entrance and watched as Finn turned the bullhorn on the crowd.

"Thank you all for your participation today. We apologize for the inconvenience but you have all been great sports. The film Krissy the Mascot Slayer should be available in independent theaters in the spring. We hope you all come to see it. Now I am going to ask you one last favor, we would like everyone to stay in their seats until we are able to extricate the camera crew, we would hardly want the rest of your fine sporting event to become a bloody mess. Thank you again for your tolerance."

Finn turned and with great ceremony shook hands with the Tiger and the Harvard coach. Then he turned and began his trek back towards the tunnel ambling as if he had all the time in the world.

Halfway there he stooped where the giant John Harvard head had rolled to a stop and scooped it up in one arm. "Can't forget this." He said with a self-effacing grin for the crowd, "the cost of good props is murder these days." He was whistling to himself when he entered the tunnel.

A heavy silence fell over the stadium and the perpetrators of the ruse held their breath waiting for their hoax to be discovered. Rory could hear her heart pounding maniacally in her chest; she so would not look pretty in a jump suit.

There was a single clap and then a smattering that built to a crescendo. Soon a wave of applause swept into the tunnel and was greeted by a grateful exhale on the parts of all involved.

Finn gave a little shrug when the clapping went on. "I think that's our curtain call my friends." he held out an elbow to Rory and Darcy and sent them a cheeky grin "Come on ladies, our adoring public awaits."

Rory 's heart was in her throat as they stepped from the mouth of the tunnel into the sunlight. Her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw the crowd on its feet. She couldn't believe Finn's audacity as he waved and smiled at the crowd. He whispered sardonically in her direction as he waved. "Here's a life lesson for your Gilmore. People are lemmings. Wear the right outfit and act like you know what you are doing and the gullible masses will follow you blindly into the fires of hell itself. "

He bowed deeply one more time to the crowd and then blew them a kiss before backing away from the spotlight.

Rory was flabbergasted...the whole crowd had been in on it? For once she could do nothing but shake her head in amazement, this had to be one of the most elaborate deceptions that she had ever heard of much less seen.

She turned to as a large hand landed on her shoulder and saw Frank, the overly protective security guard. "Good job there girly...you really had me going."

She searched his face to see if he was angry and was perplexed at the amusement in his eyes "You knew that it was an act?" she tried to piece together the disparate facts to make a whole picture.

"Well, no, not until you were already on the field and then your director pulled me aside and explained. No hard feelings, I know you were just doing your job."

Rory stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for being such a sweetheart Frank. Its too bad there aren't more guys out there like you. The world would be a better place."

Rory was awed by the criminal acumen of her companions. Not only had they absconded in one piece with the head of the esteemed John Harvard aka the Mad Puritan....they had gotten a standing ovation for doing it.

Fifteen minutes later the car slid to a stop in front of a fancy townhouse about a mile from Harvard Square. Reminiscent of many an old time clown car the doors swung open to reveal a Bulldog, a boy in chain mail and tap shoes carrying two light sabers, A Don Corleone look alike in Armani, a giant head of what appeared to be pilgrim, sans body and a rather stunned looking Yale cheerleader, minus the pom poms which were regretfully left behind in the scuffle.

They had parted ways with Darcy and the talented Seth at the field with a promise to rendezvous at their next destination. Which appeared to Rory to be a private residence.

Rory came to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk when she saw the house. "Please do not tell me we are breaking in to this house. I don't think I can handle any more criminal activity this afternoon, at least not until after a nap and more coffee."

Logan gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder before he brushed past her as he removed the bulldog head "No worries Ace, I have a key. It is time for a little rest and refueling, we have a full night ahead of us."

She watched in surprise as he and Colin ascended the steps and he slid a key into the lock. She followed with hesitant steps still unsure whether this was just another trick. The foyer was a masterpiece of marble and polished wood and she nearly tiptoed afraid of disturbing the museum like stillness.

The silence was broken by voices as they approached what Rory guessed was a parlor. When the turned the corner at the stairs a spacious room littered with members of their team in various states of relaxation was revealed.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Logan said with a gracious air, waving her into the room. She surmised that this must be his parents' house.

The Three Musketeers ambled into the room taking up various positions lounging on the furniture.

Logan propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him and cocked an eyebrow at her. "So Ace, what did you think of our little spoof?"

"It was bizarre." there was the hyperbole of the millennium " You are like a..." she searched for the right word.

"Virtuoso?" he supplied

"No."

"Wizard?"

"Not exactly "

"Wunderkind?"

"Hardly."

"Maestro?"

She snapped her fingers "Artful Dodger. You are the Artful Dodger."

"Ouch." Logan retorted with a hand to his chest. "I think I will stick to coming up with my own monikers from now on, I much prefer Master and Commander."

She rolled her eyes and turned to Finn "And you are David Copperfield, only not the Dickens's one, the magician one, able to create grand illusions and escape even the most hopeless of situations with your sneaky little brain as your only tool. The world would be taken by storm if you ever decided to use your powers for good."

"Don't forget my dashing looks."

"Kind of a muddled analogy if you ask me" Logan said with a huff.

"I'm still regaining my vim... the shock of this afternoon has dulled my wits a bit. Speaking of which why didn't you tell me we had a game plan?"

Logan smiled "I told you what you needed to know. You are transparent Rory, if you had known the whole plan you would have given it away. Besides, now you have proven your chops. I had my doubts but Finn assured me you would meet the challenge."

He glanced up at Finn in the front seat "What did you think Finn? Our little Ace gave a performance that would have knocked old Vivien Leigh on her ass. My applause to the newest bearer of the scarlet letter...a star in the making."

"Indeed" Finn said with a grin, "I think we should take this show on the road. I'm bored with college anyway."

Finn lowered the rim of his sunglasses and gave Rory a particularly lascivious once over "and may I say my dear you look yummy in that skirt. Quite smashing indeed. You can cheer for me anytime." He turned to Steph who was listening intently from a nearby armchair and whispered a confession "I just love a girl in uniform."

Rory blushed crimson to the great amusement of all assembled. It seemed you could take the girl out of Stars Hollow but you couldn't quite take the Stars Hollow out of the girl.

"Now Finn, lies do not become you." Steph returned, "We all know you aren't that picky. You love a girl in anything...or nothing at all for that matter."

Finn pushed his sunglasses back up his nose and stuck it in the air " I would be insulted if you didn't have a point. So how did you like your debut in the spotlight my dear Scarlet? Have you succumbed to the acting bug?"

Rory shook her head emphatically "No thanks, the stage is definitely not for me. I think this little role will be my first and last time in front of the camera." She stopped dead and her eyes widened in realization. Her eyes threatened unspeakable violence when she turned to Logan.

Her voice came out a threatening his "Did this little play get recorded?"

He looked at the ceiling "Yes."

"If I remember correctly the one thing I asked was that there be no photographic proof of me in this outfit. You promised."

Logan shook his head "I'll apologize in advance but I do have to disagree with you there."

Rory whirled mid pace and stormed towards his chair kicking his legs viciously off the table and standing directly in front of him. "What do you mean? I heard you promise."

"Well no, technically you didn't. You gave me an ultimatum regarding your mother and pictures of you in your full pom pommed glory and I made a rather cunningly distracting remark, something about the Internet I believe."

Her mouth dropped open to retort and then she had a flash of the conversation. Damn him. "You tricked me!"

"I suppose you could look at it that way if you were so inclined. I am not as it turns out, so inclined."

She huffed but there wasn't a good comeback for that. He had her beat on this point and he knew it. The irritating sparkle in his eyes made her lean forward over his chair. She should never have budged off that plane without a contract written in blood.... preferably his blood. If her mother and the rest of the Stars Hollow gossip network ever got a hold of this she was definitely going to have to fake her own death and move to Greenland.

"Fine, we will move on to the other indictments against you. You could have warned me about Darcy as the ringer. As it was I had to improvise and that girl is not as light as she looks when she belly flops on top of you." She rubbed her rear end with a disgruntled look "My butt still hurts from its little rendezvous with the ground."

Logan gave her a flirtatious wink "I'll kiss it and make it better if you want."

"You are only allowed to kiss my ass in the most proverbial sense."

"Your loss."

Rory gave him a less than friendly look "Now where was I?"

"You were complaining about your less than graceful meeting with the Astroturf."

"Right, so not only are there permanent welts on my rear end but I am pretty sure there is a picture of said rear end that will end up on the internet some day just when I am about to step up and accept my Pulitzer Prize."

He gave her a smirk "Now Ace you know that in the world of journalism these little vagaries of our youth just lend perspective. You can make a witty remark in your acceptance speech about how adversity builds character."

"This is all just a big game to you isn't it?"

He shot her a look that clearly questioned her understanding of the English language and spoke very slowly "Well, yeah, its a Scavenger Hunt, which is by definition a game. Do I need an interpreter or something to put it in Rory speak?"

"No...I meant life is a game to you."

He shrugged and gave her a somewhat whimsical smile "Not one big game but certainly a series of ever evolving games, in general I think the house odds are against me but I do manage to win a hand or two now and then."

He sent her an impudent grin and with his dancing eyes and hair spiked every which a way from being inside the bulldog costume he had a remarkable resemblance to one of the Little Rascals. She had always had a soft spot for the mischievous little boy look and she found herself softening despite her best intentions.

"You know you are very hard to stay mad at."

His grin went up in wattage " I know. I'm sure its the only reason I've lived this long."

She stood up straight with a muttered comment "At this rate you won't live to 22."

He stood and met her eyes and his face had gone serious. "What do you say Ace, can we call a truce?"

She considered him for a long moment, clearly weighing the pros and cons on a mental list.

He held out a hand in an offering of peace. "Friends?"

She was going to make him work for it. "What's in it for me?"

He considered "The pleasure of my charm, the amusement of my adventures, the witty conversation..." she cocked a skeptical eye at him as he wracked his brains for a suitable offering "and all the coffee you want."

Her smile was impish as she stuck out her hand "You should started with that, it would have been a no-brainer. "She leaned forward with a calculating gleam in her eye "So, is that as much coffee as I want for life?"

Logan chuckled "You forget, I've seen you go through coffee like water. More specifically the first water you have after a week stranded in the desert. I don't think that even my father's considerable coffers could keep you in coffee for life."

He laughed at the lip she stuck out in a pout. "Okay, a compromise. How about all the coffee you want for a month? A preemptive apology for the photograph."

She grinned jubilantly and skipped right over the comment about the photograph. "You've got yourself a deal Mac. Now where's the kitchen? There's no better time to start than now. No use wasting any time."

Logan groaned as she skipped excitedly out of the parlor. He gave Finn an incredulous look "I don't think I have ever had to bribe a girl to be my friend before. Even worse, I have feeling that I just got out negotiated by a novice."

Finn cocked an eyebrow. "I think you miscalculate Miss Gilmore's talents. She is a quick study. If she got coffee for a month in return for a promise of friendship, a somewhat nebulous commodity at best, imagine what it will cost for a kiss."

Logan paled as he turned to follow his new friend to the kitchen. Machiavelli could take lessons from Rory Gilmore.


	25. Trivial Pursuits

Finn's last comment was running wild laps in his head and Logan cursed the picture those words had painted in extremently vivid detail. Somehow he suspected that had been exactly Finn's plan.

He found Rory in the spacious kitchen observing the room with a somewhat daunted expression. She turned when she heard his footsteps and frowned.

"I don't suppose you know which one of these high tech gizmos is the coffee maker?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her around a big granite topped island to a bar stool on the far side where she sat down and began swinging her feet. He rolled up his sleeves with a look that suggested he meant business.

"You just leave the coffee making to me." He gave her a little wink "You can be the cheering squad."

"Ha ha." She said with bitterness. "You are never going to let that go are you?"

He tossed a quick smile her direction as he pulled out coffee beans and prepared the espresso maker. "Probably not."

She tilted her head and watched him curiously. "Color me shocked, Ritchie Rich knows how to make coffee. Don't you usually have servants for that type of thing?"

He shrugged diffidently "Man cannot live by bread alone. I, not unlike yourself, consider coffee to be a necessity for survival and, contrary to popular myth I have neither a Starbuck's franchise or a manservant in my dorm room so given this need of mine it behooved me to become proficient with an espresso maker."

"Another fantasy bites the dust."

He wiggled his eyebrows "Ace, you've been fantasizing about me? Now I feel all warm and fuzzy."

She rolled her eyes and blatantly ignored the innuendo "Brownie points for the biblical reference but I would think that it would be easier just to buy espresso than learn how to use one of those newfangled toys." She gestured at the silver machine "too many buttons and gadgets if you ask me, when it comes to caffeine I will gladly pay for the path of least resistance."

"Well, I clearly have a more refined palate."

She covered her head with both hands and he gave her a strange look. "What are you doing?"

"Avoiding the lightening bolts. You know what they say about hubris being the downfall of man?"

He shrugged "It is hardly hubris if the praise is deserved. My coffee is easily as good as your precious Luke's"

Her eyebrows shot up, those were fighting words. "I see your delusions of grandeur extend even to coffee making."

He smirked her direction and maneuvered to regain a little of the ground he had lost in their earlier agreement. "If I were you I would reserve judgment until you taste the fruits of my labor but since you seem determined to impugn my coffee making skills how about a little wager."

She regarded him with wary eyes "What kind of wager?"

"Double or nothing. I suggest, my little misanthrope, that we conduct a little taste test with you acting as the judge. What do you rate Luke's coffee?"

She considered, "I guess I would have to say a 9."

"Okay, if you find my coffee let's say an 8 or above we will stick with the original deal, one month all the coffee you can consume except you have to drink said coffee in a spot of my choosing, in my illustrious company. If you find my elixir unpalatable then I will give you two months of coffee and you can chose the location and the company."

She pondered, "Your ego really is immense isn't it? An 8 on the Gilmore scale is not a goal easily attained."

He gave her a smile "I'm not worried. Are you?"

"Nope. It's a wager. Now lets see if you can back up that impressive braggadocio."

"I have only one condition, if you are finished with your heckling I ask for silence, an artist needs the right environment to produce a masterpiece."

She made a locking motion over her mouth and pretended to throw away the key.

Logan had never considered making coffee to be a particularly sensual activity, but the intensity of Rory's cerulean gaze focused so unblinkingly on his hands as they ground, scooped, measured and tamped felt oddly like foreplay. He, despite a slight tremor in his hand was able to pull a nearly perfect shot of espresso and set in front of her with a proud flourish.

She regarded it avariciously for a moment and then the heat of her eyes was burning him, her look bordered on adulation. "If I had known you could make coffee we might have been friends a long time ago."

He smiled "If I had known that winning your friendship was that simple I would have unveiled that little talent the first day. I did give you coffee though, I should get some points for that."

Rory lifted the demitasse cup and sniffed the heavenly aromas with a smile that bordered on ecstatic "There is a great deal of distinction between a giver of coffee and a maker of coffee. A giver of coffee can be replaced should one have a falling out with said acquaintance, a maker of coffee is a precious commodity...well at least if the coffee is good."

She saluted him in a mock toast with the cup "lets see whether you are worthy of worship or not shall we."

Logan watched enthralled as she took a sip of the thick, syrupy liquid and rolled it around in her mouth with the same concentration that any wine connoisseur would use with the first sip of a 200 dollar bottle of Bordeaux. He felt a little twist in his gut but was unable to look away as she downed the espresso shot in one swallow and allowed her eyes to flutter closed as the rich, smooth flavor of superb coffee slid along her tongue tingling on her taste buds. Her eyes opened languorously and she gave a sigh of pure bliss as the last dregs vaporized in her mouth. Logan watched mesmerized by this play of emotion. The look she aimed at him when her eyes finally opened felt like a shot of lightening slicing through him and he suddenly felt uncomfortably warm.

He tried to cover it with a short chuckle as he leaned across the granite island "I've also found that coffee making skills works well on the ladies although diamonds usually work better."

She mirrored his stance and leaned on her elbows meeting him halfway across the island "I guess its a matter of knowing the subject of your affections, don't get me wrong, diamonds and chocolates and roses are nice and all but a superior shot of espresso If a guy started a seduction scene with coffee like this my reputation as a Mary would be in serious jeopardy in short order."

Logan's smile took on a flirtatious edge as he leaned closer yet "So, you're saying that now that I have revealed my secret identity as a master barista you find me irresistible?"

Suddenly Rory became aware of the scant inches that separated their faces. She felt a slight shift in the air between them as she met his light caramel eyes and saw the glitter of something dangerous.

Things were changing, maybe in him, maybe in her, maybe in both of them. They danced, had been dancing since they day they met, not physically but with a well choreographed play of words, facial nuances, intonation and body language. Every dip and spin was elegant in simplicity, flawless in execution and duplicitous in symbolism. Despite a scant term of acquaintance they had fallen into an easy rhythm of banter, comfortable, practiced, graceful even, its flow like that of an old married couple who had enjoyed many a waltz and knew the steps by heart.

But someone had changed the tune.

Maybe it was a gradual shift from 3/4 to 5/8 time, but it felt like going from the airy strains of Beethoven to the downbeat of a Tango within a single measure and suddenly their steps were no longer in sync. The usual easy air between them was marred by a strange new awareness. Rory felt herself pulled into the force field that seemed to connect them. Desperately and with some effort she pulled her eyes from his compelling gaze only to have them land on teasing half smile that quirked his lips. Lips that suddenly looked.... inviting. Shit!

She blinked once, twice, back pedaling madly to extricate herself from this new and unwelcome awareness. She had only broken up with Dean a couple of weeks ago, she wasn't ready to be attracted to anyone, much less to a cocky blonde Lothario like Logan Hunzberger. If the debacle with Dean had taught her anything it was that her hormones were not the trustworthiest judges of character.

"Your coffee...I find your COFFEE irresistible." Her voice came out much hoarser than she had intended. She coughed and then tried again, this time with a little more oomph.

Logan sucked in a steadying breath still reeling slightly from the dawning comprehension he had seen in Rory's eyes. Change was gonna come, of that much he was sure. He carefully wrapped himself in the cloak of careless teasing. "Does that mean I win?"

It took Rory a long second to remember what they were talking about, the coffee...right? "Yeah, yeah, much as I hate to admit it as I am sure you will now be insufferable, you win. I would give the coffee an 8.5 at least."

He grinned, "I knew it...you're easy."

She shot him glare but couldn't quite hide the little smile." Don't write me off as a cheap date just yet Juan Valdez." She gestured to the empty espresso cup "I'll need about 6 more of these to refill my tanks. Then I need a shower."

He gave a grievous sigh "Are you always such a task-master?"

"Yes, and just think...you just bought yourself a month of my electrifying company. Lucky you."

He slapped a hand to his forehead as he laid another two shots of espresso in front of her "What was I thinking? Can I plead temporary insanity?"

She downed the two shots of espresso and handed the cups back to him to be refilled. " I think not my friend" two more shots went down the hatch. "You bribed me fair and square...it was a verbal contract."

"At least there is a bright side. I get to choose the location." He gave her a playful leer "What do you think of coffee in bed? My bed of course."

"In your dreams Huntzberger." She finished off the last of the savored coffee. "Now where can I take a shower? I am badly in need of a wardrobe change. Then I think a ritual burning of this outfit is in order."

"Upstairs and to the right, there should be towels in the linen closet next to it." He watched as she hopped off the stool and bounced to the doorway of the kitchen. "You know Ace, most girls would be happy to have a starring role in my dreams."

Her hand paused on the door and she turned with a particularly saucy smile "In case you haven't noticed Huntzberger, I'm not most girls." She vanished from sight with a jaunty step.

He stared at the swinging door for a good 30 seconds after she was gone and then rubbed his hand over his eyes and dropped down on her vacated stool. He couldn't argue with the unadulterated truth of that statement. She definitely was NOT most girls.

They met again at the base of the stairs. Rory's hair was still wet from the shower and she was clad again in black, only this time with the addition of the pink bunny slippers.

He smiled in appreciation when hisgaze lit on her feet. "I see our old friends have joined us. "

"The outfit seemed a bit monochromatic and since you said we were resting here for a bit it seemed the opportune time to break out the Pink Floyds. Where is everyone?"

Before Logan could even form a reply the question was answered by a clatter coming from the back half of the residence this was followed in quick succession by a girlish squeal. "I believe that is Stephanie now." Rory trailed behind him as they headed towards the room from which the sound had emanated.

When the door swung open it revealed a spacious room that appeared to be an entertainment room. Central to the space was a beautifully built pool table upon which Finn and Stephanie were engaged in a game that at least vaguely resembled pool. There was a pool table involved and there were colored balls but that seemed to be where convention ended. Rory was no expert but she was pretty certain that pool wasn't usually played while standing on the rim of the table sans shoes and she distinctly remembered something about pool cues being involved. She almost hoped that there had been alcohol involved in the planning stages. At least that would make some semblance of sense. It disturbed her a little that this behavior, normally the realm of a psych ward or a maybe a party in Stars Hollow had now become almost blasé. In fact she might have been more shocked if they had shown up and found Finn doing nothing out of the ordinary, which for him would have been extremely abnormal...it was a tricky piece of circular logic that she decided was best tackled another day when she had returned to the land of relative sanity. Some mysteries were better left unsolved. They had at least clearly identified the source of the noise.

Finn looked up at them with an inquisitive expression. "Ah, Master Huntzberger has returned along with our long lost friend. Its about time too, we had become quite desperate for entertainment. Skinny-dipping in the neighbor's pool was next on our list. You can join us if you like."

Logan rolled his eyes "No skinny dipping in the neighbor's pool my parent's still haven't forgiven or forgotten the little debacle from last year. We are on thin ice so be on your best behavior."

"Yes sir, what ever you say sir." Finn saluted smartly and then put his hand over his mouth and said in a stage whisper to Stephanie "I think Big Mac needs to get laid. He is way too uptight."

Logan heard the smothered snigger behind him but would not deign to respond. That was the road to hell for sure. "How about we find some other form of entertainment."

Finn dropped down on the edge of the pool table and sat swinging his legs with his hand on his chin in a thoughtful pose. "Let me think...a new game to play. Hmmm." His eyes lit with mischievous glee as he jumped off the table. "I've got just the thing." He headed towards a large cabinet on one side of the room and stuck his head in and began to rummage around with some muttering. Finally he pulled out two boxes and held them aloft triumphantly. "Ah ha, perfect. Since Gilmore is our guest I will let her pick the game."

He presented them to Rory and she stared at them for a moment, uncomprehending. Something didn't add up. One was Monopoly and the other was Trivial Pursuit, as far as she could see they weren't X-rated or modified in any way and were definitely too tame for Finn even on his least manicl days.

She gave him a perplexed brow-wrinkling look. "I don't get it."

Finn shook the boxes at her "I'm not asking you to decide the fate of the free world or anything here. Pick a game. It will be fun, trust me."

She hesitated and looked at Logan but he was displaying the same total confusion that she was. She was sure Finn was up to some trick but she gave in. "I think you all would have an unfair advantage in Monopoly...too much similarity to real life...I wouldn't know what to do with a hotel if I had one." She pointed decisively "Trivial Pursuit it is."

Finn grinned "Excellent choice my dear." She didn't much like the scheming look in his eye but the decision was made now. The group trooped towards a corner of the large room to a corner that held a low coffee table surrounded by a couch and several chairs. Rory looked around curiously at the room that was empty except for them.

"Hey, where is the rest of the team?"

Logan answered. "They are off on another errand. We are in charge of holding down the fort during this leg of the trip. They should be back in a couple of hours."

Finn set down the board and gestured for the others to take their chairs. He started with a very official sounding announcers tone. "There are a few stipulations and amendments to the rules that I would like to suggest for this game, all in the name of maximizing enjoyment of course."

Logan groaned and slumped in his seat, he should have known. Rory glanced at him uncertainly still in the dark as to the nature of the game. Her eyes widened when Stephanie suddenly appeared at Finn's side with two bottles of liquor one of the clear sort and one of the brown variety. When she set the on the table next to the board Rory began to have an inkling about the nature of this evening's entertainment. She was quite certain that alcohol was not mentioned anywhere in the official rules for Trivial Pursuit. All eyes were focused on Finn, apparently the master of this little ceremony.

"Finn..." Logan said in an exasperated voice

"Now before you get your panties in a twist let me explain the rules. Then, we will have a nice democratic vote and I will bow to the will of the majority. I am hardly running an autocracy here and if you all want to find some other source of amusement for the next" he grabbed Colin's wrist and looked at his watch since his had been missing since the unfortunate incident at the gay club "four hours, then be my guest."

He waited as the others exchanged glances. Since the consensus seemed to lean in the direction of hearing him out, if nothing else it would be worth a good laugh Logan finally gestured with a hand to indicate that he should continue.

Finn rubbed his hands together. "We will play in teams and the rules will be as follows: As per the normal procedure you will answer a question for whatever category you landed on, now here is where it gets interesting, if you answer the question correctly then you get to take a shot"

Rory interrupted "Wait a minute you have to do a shot if you get the question right? That sounds backwards, why do you get punished for getting it right?"

Finn gave her a pitying look "Its all a matter of perspective my dear, one man's punishment is another man's reward. As I was saying, if you get the question incorrect then a member of the other team is allowed to ask a personal question from a list for that category. Each member of the team will answer the question." He held up a hand as several mouths opened in protest "I have not relinquished the floor yet, each player has the option to pass but will be required to do another shot for the privilege or you can agree to come back to that question later in the game. If you get a pie then you get to pass on the questions for the next round. The game ends when someone wins or we run out of liquor. Does everyone understand?"

Rory looked around a the other faces "What do you get if you win?"

Stephanie gave her a savvy wink "Honey, this isn't about who wins or loses its about how you play the game."

Rory looked skeptical but fell into silence as Logan took up the argument. "Finn, I thought we agreed that there was no more drinking until the end of the game."

Finn aimed his most patronizing look at his friend "Logan, you disappoint me, I hardly expected you, the poster boy for social deviants to be the stickler for the rules. Okay, how about this, we will make the alcoholic part of this game optional. You choose whether you drink or not, it takes half the fun out of it but you know me, always willing to compromise."

Logan rolled his eyes with ill humor; leave it to Finn to back him into a corner. "Fine, if the rest of you agree then I guess I am outvoted anyway."

Colin looked at the rest of the quintet and then nodded "I'm in, but how are we going to split up into teams, there are five of us."

Finn nodded in acknowledgement "good point. I say we put 2 numbers into a hat and draw, there will be two on one team and three on the other."

Everyone agreed that this sounded reasonable and Finn quickly scribbled numbers on slips of paper and dropped them in a dish on the coffee table "no hat in sight so this will have to do." They each slowly pulled numbers and looked at them with some trepidation. The teams ended up quite interestingly split with Logan, Rory and Finn on one team and Colin and Stephanie on the other. This was shaping up to be quite an interesting game, Rory actually felt a bit safer with Finn on her team but Stephanie was still a bit worrisome. After a short squabble over the color of their markers the game began. Logan had decided that he was not going to drink; someone had to be at least remotely sane around here

. Logan's team was up first and landed quite regrettably on the arts and Entertainment Square and it was a sports question, damn.

"What sports did the Philadelphia Atoms and the Dallas Tornados play in the 1970's" the three teammates exchanged blank looks.

Finally Logan ventured an answer "basketball?" his tone was querulous.

Stephanie looked triumphant. "Nope! "Soccer."

Rory groaned and smacked Logan in the shoulder, he gave hre a disbelieving look. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You should have known that."

"Pardon me, you didn't know it either so I wouldn't be too quick to throw stones."

Rory gave him an exasperated look "I'm a girl, I am not supposed to know. You are guys, you have testosterone and a Y chromosome I thought that the encyclopedia of obscure athletic knowledge came with the set."

Finn piped in "I think my parents got me on clearance and mine was missing."

An unapologetic grin split Stephanie's face as she rubbed her hands together. "Alright Colin lets pick a question." Logan shuddered; maybe he was going to need a drink after all.

Everyone was surprised when Colin read a question from the handwritten list. "Name your favorite movie of all time." He shrugged in a show of good will, "No use pulling out thebig guns on the first round."

Rory smiled in a thanks "Start with the difficult ones why don't you, how can I possibly narrow down a century of cinematic greatness to one paltry name?"

Colin laughed "Okay, top five then."

"Oh, well,thats a little better, let's see there are the obvious ones, Princess Bride, Casablanca, Sixteen Candles or really anything from John Hughes made before 1987."

Logan frowned "What happened after 1987?"

Rory shuddered in horror "Have you seen Home Alone?"

She was really warming to the question now and the others watched with amusement "Of course I have to include Willy Wonka for purely nostalgic reasons and because my mother would disown me if I didn't and." she paused with a painful expression "well, I am torn and I do so hate to be disloyal but I would have to say my final choice in the top five is Roman Holiday or Breakfast at Tiffanys, although Sabrina runs a close third, well pretty much anything wiht Audrey Hepburn, or Humphrey Bogart for that matter." She finally subsided with a tragic sigh. "Maybe you should have said top ten."

Logan cocked an amused eyebrow in her direction "Willy Wonka?"

"Hey, don't knock the oompa loompas...that is a dangerous thing to do around a Gilmore Girl, my mother wants to marry one."

Logan was next "I guess I would say my favorite movie is Dr. Strangelove. You just can't beat Stanley Kubrick for pure satirical genius and Peter Sellers riding that bomb was one of the most classic scenes ever.

He caught Rory's surprised look in his peripheral vision "What you expected me to pick Showgirls or something from the Hugh Hefner archives?"

She coughed over a laugh "I'll admit I did expect at least a few scantily clad women."

"What do you call Tracy Reed as "Miss Foreign Affairs"?"

Finn cut in "My turn. My favorite movie of all time...lets see" he made a big production of pondering the question "I guess I will have to a dirty little secret. I just loe When Harry Met Sally."

Rory's mouth dropped open at this one. Finn continued "What can I say, I guess I am just a romantic at heart" he leaned over and winked at Logan "plus its a great movie for picking up women, they love that mushy stuff...makes me look sensitive."

Rory groaned, "Do you do anything that isn't ultimately aimed at getting women?"

Finn looked shocked "What would be the point?"

Colin coughed "Shall we move on?"

Stephanie surprised everyone when she knew what animal was paraded through the streets of Paris on Mardi Gras to remind people not to eat meat during Lent (an ox). Stephanie giggled "What can I say, everyone has their hobbies, I happen to be an expert on all things Mardi Gras."

They did their shots and the game moved on. Both teams got the next three questions in a row right, mostly thanks to Finn and this meant three consecutive shots.

Rory turned to Finn with an accusing scowl "Who knows what the hell a furlong is?" she turned to Logan "is he always this good at trivia or is this just a ploy to get me drunk? I think you are a charlatan."

Logan, who had decided that drinking was definitely the lesser of two evils in this particular game leaned towards Rory and whispered, rather loudly "Don't underestimate Finn, he may seem like the original American idiot but he's kind of like Rain Man, he has an impressive capacity for retention and recall of completely random and useless trivia. Just be glad he is on our team.... I think."

Finn fluttered his eyelashes at them, innocence incarnate. "O ye of little faith."

Colin and Stephanie finally got one wrong not surprisingly, even Finn probably couldn't have guessed what arachibutyrophobia was (a fear of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth). They were on the wild card category so Rory looked down at the questions that they could chose from favorite guilty pleasures, heroes or darkest secret. She shied away from the last one, they weren't nearly drunk enough to open that particular can of worms.

She pointed to one and her teammates agreed, "Who are you heroes and why they can be either fictional or real."

Colin answered first "I'd have to say Linus Pauling because he is brilliant and anyone who is awarded two individual Nobel prizes deserves respect, Monty Python because, well he is a comedic genius, favorite movies by the way, two way tie between Life of Brian and Search for the Holy Grail and lastly my brother for doing what I would never have the guts to do and telling my dad to take a his money and shove it where the sun don't shine."

"The black sheep?" Rory asked in a curious voice and Logan gave her a funny look

"You know Ian? "

"I met him. He helped us with the Columbia thing."

Logan crowed "Ah ha...I knew it, I knew the two of you would never have pulled that off by yourselves." Rory regretted mentioning it.

Colin sniffed and looked insulted "Well, its nice to see your true colors and what you really think of my abilities as a criminal mastermind."

Stephanie was up next "That's easy my heroes are Madonna, because she is one of the few famous people with the guts to keep reinventing herself and Sandra Day O'Connor because she has an absolutely incredible legal mind and the guts to be outspoken."

Rory looked at Stephanie with new eyes. There were several seconds of silence before Stephanie crossed her arms and wrinkled her forehead "Come on you guys who did you think it was going to be Paris Hilton? I do have a few brain cells to rub together you know. My life isn't all frivolity and champagne." They wisely moved on.

On a losing roll the threesome was up for questioning next, Stephanie grabbed the card and read off the same question. "Heroes."

Logan was first "Leonardo da Vinci because he was the true renaissance scholar and wasn't afraid to challenge accepted wisdom and Bill Clinton because despite his less than sterling character he was one of the greatest political minds of our century."

Finn snickered "Plus he's got the women falling at his feet to kiss his boots and anything else he wants them to."

Logan grinned "Yeah...that too."

Rory rolled her eyes "And just when I thought you were showing your deep side. You are clearly past all redemption."

Logan gave her a saucy wink "Redemption is overrated Ace, what do you do once you have been redeemed you just have to sit around being good all the time. Personally I'd rather be dancing in the fires of hell. You're up Ace."

Rory thought for a moment "Maureen Dowd because she is smart, gutsy and witty and isn't afraid to take on the establishment and besides her commentary of Bush usually just has me in stitches and my namesake, my mom because she is the bravest and most unique person I know."

Logan widened his eyes and nodded in agreement "She lends new meaning to the term odd-ball...of course I mean that in the best possible way."

Rory nodded "I'm sure you do but I will take it as a compliment on her behalf. Okay Finn, how about you?"

"Well, obviously there is James Bond the man I consider to be my guru in all things pertaining to attraction and seduction of women"

"Big surprise" Rory muttered and Finn sent her a censuring

"Shhhh. And I would have to say Don Quixote."

Logan was even surprised at that one "But Don Quixote was a joke, a fool."

Finn nodded pensively "I don't see it that way, I think that Don Quixote was an optimist and a dreamer." There was definitely an element of the ridiculous to Finn but Rory actually thought his analogy was pretty spot on. He wasn't afraid to be himself as foolish as that seemed at times and Rory respected him for that trait, it was more than she could attribute to herself at times.

This was an interesting new side of all of them, who knew the misfits and troublemakers would have this thoughtful serious side to them? Rory felt for the first time like she was actually getting to know the people behind the shiny happy facades. She felt a little like she was in one of those John Hughes movies, Breatkfast Club maybe.

They won a few rounds on each side and several more shots slipped down their throats to join the others. They got the next one wrong and waited for their question. Rory was beginning to feel a bit lightheaded but she shook her head and tried to focus on what was being asked.

"What is your biggest character flaw?"

Finn jumped in first "That's easy. I have no flaws." He gestured proudly to his chest "I'm perfect just the way I am."

Logan just snorted and Finn stuck his nose in the air "No comments necessary from the peanut gallery. You are just jealous because I am confident."

Rory patted his arm "I'm not sure that confident is quite the right word but I think that we can all agree that no one would ever call you insecure. I guess my flaw would be my tendency to overanalyze things."

Logan put his hand to his mouth in a parody of shock "You? Overanalyzing? No!"

"Funny" Rory returned with a disgruntled look "maybe you should quit school and become the next Robin Williams."

Logan ignored the dig and pondered his own answer "Well, I would go with Finn's answer but I do so hate to be redundant so I guess I will say impatience. I have never liked having to wait for something I want. I am a big fan of quick service and speedy resolutions."

Rory tilted her head at him "Haven't you ever heard the saying that the best things in life are the things worth waiting for?"

He met her eyes in a quick flash of surprise wondering if there was a hidden subtext to her comment but when she broke her probing gaze and focused her attention back on the game he waved it off.

They had definitely all reached the tipsy stage and Stephanie slumped over sideways on to Colin after they lost the next question. Rory was taken aback when Colin cast a furtive glance at his teammate and paled dramatically. She watched in fascination as a deep flush started to creep its way up his neck. Was it possible that Colin had a thing for Stephanie? She was even more sure of it when she saw the knowing looks that Finn and Logan were exchanging. Logan smile held just the tiniest edge of the Mad Hatter as he read the question on the card. "Have you ever been in love?"

Rory sucked in a breath...way to go for the bazookas, apparently Logan was done pussyfooting around. If it was even possible Colin turned an even more translucent shade of white.

"Uh..." he stuttered and gave a panicked half glance at Stephanie who was gloriously oblivious to his discomfort as she leaned against him "I don't think so."

He gave Logan a pleading look which Logan blatantly ignored "What do you mean you don't think so, it seems like a yes or no question to me, flip a coin if you have to."

Rory felt a sorry for Colin she would hate to be in his position. Casting a disapproving look at Logan she jumped in to rescue him, Colin cast her a grateful look "I think that is a perfectly reasonable answer. I mean I would probably have to say the same thing. I've thought maybe I was in love before but how am I supposed to know if it was the real thing? I mean if you have never been in love then what do you really have to compare it to? Is it any less real just because it isn't the spine tingling-heart stopping-life changing- fairy tale variety that you see in the movies? I don't know." Rory could feel herself rambling and could have smacked herself for giving away too much, the intent look in Logan's eyes said she had already gone too far. She quickly rerouted her monologue to go on the offensive trying to unbalance him so that he would stop analyzing her little slip.

"Maybe there are different degrees of love. Who are you to say? Have you ever been in love?" This came out as a challenge directed at Logan and Rory realized as soon as it slipped from her lips that she was suddenly intently interested in the answer.

Logan looked like he had just choked on the canary that he had swallowed and he quickly tried to derail the conversation with a little banter "It's not my fault you decided to give us a little freebie there, no one asked you for full disclosure."

Rory crossed her arms and gave him look that implied that she knew exactly what he was trying to do "Hey, no problem Huntzberger, I guess you can dish out but you just can't take it. Not so easy to take when the stones are aimed at you huh? Sad, though I would never have pegged you as a cowardly lion. Where is all that chutzpah now?"

He held up a quieting hand "Fine, fine, if we are going to slide into childish name calling I will appease you." Rory 's eyebrows arched in surprise when he stopped and poured himself a fortifying shot. Now she was dying to know whatever juicy story had his knickers in a twist. He met her eyes and then focused them behind her on some point on the wall as he answered; his voice was an eerie emotionless monotone that she had never heard from his before.

"Yes, I have been in love. She was a girl in high school, a girl who very clearly did not meet with my parents approval. In fact my father specifically forbade to see her, seems kind of Shakespearean I know but that is the way old money acts in Connecticut, as if they were left behind somewhere in the eighteen hundreds while the rest of the world evolved without them. Anyway, I was young and foolish and I thought I was in love so I ignored my father's implicit instructions. We dated secretly for almost nine months and then my father found out. Unfortunately I didn't know find that little tidbit out until much later, what I did find, as my father intended, was my girlfriend having sex with my brother in the place we usually met for our secret trysts."

Rory sucked in a shocked gasp as Logan's eyes met hers...they were flat and emotionless on the surface but she could see just behind that curtain a swirl of suppressed hurt and anger. She felt a tightening in her chest in sympathy for his pain.

His eyes dropped to his lap and his voice was soft and introspective now as if he were talking more to himself than his audience "It broke my heart. I learned my father's lesson well. I swore that I would never be a fool for love again, that I would never let anyone get close enough to cause me that kind of pain. I did learn about my father's duplicity later but by then it was too late to rectify the situation, she had moved on and cynicism had healed a nice scar over my wound." He looked up with a self-deprecating half smile and tried for a lighter note "So there it is all the information you ever need to bring me to my knees and expose me as a fraud."

He gave a bitter little half laugh "Sounds kind of like something out of a Greek tragedy huh."

Rory gave him a sad, empathetic look "God, I'm sorry Logan, I shouldn't have attacked you that way. I didn't know...."

"Its okay Ace, its ancient history now. At least this way I don't need to pay to go to therapy, my soul is clean...I have professed my deepest wound. I'm sure Freud would have something inspirational to say about it." He looked around at his assembled friends "hey, don't make me the kill joy. Let's toast to past loves and lessons learned and move on shall we."

Finn smiled "Now there is an idea I can get behind. Nothing like drinking yourself into oblivion to exorcise those demons. " He poured a round of shots and they all raised them in salute "To the ghosts, may they stay in the past where they belong and may the future hold nothing but fun."

Rory's eyes met Logan's in a long penetrating stare and he felt like she was staring straight into his heart, he gulped and tipped back his shot and she slowly mirrored the action letting the alcohol slide down her throat, feeling it cleanse her soul of painful memories.

Finn shook the nearly empty bottle of vodka and then topped off his glass one more time. "Seeing as we are nearly out of alcohol and have clearly reached a turning point in our little game here, I say we have one last question to end the game and then call it quits."

Everyone nodded somewhat belatedly; they were all still feeling a bit rocked by the raw emotion engendered by Logan's tale.

Finn dropped all the questions into a pile and gestured to Rory "You may do the honors." Rory plucked a card out of the pile and looked at it with some trepidation.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she read it aloud "What is your darkest fear or secret?" There was a long heavy silence over the table, nothing like going out ion a burst of flame.

Logan cracked a joke trying to break the mood "Can't I get credit for the last one?" he looked around a sighed dramatically "ok, I'll go, not many skeletons left hiding in the closet at this point anyway might as well make a clean sweep of it. This may seem sort of odd after my last confession but my greatest fear is that I will never live up to my father.... my second greatest fear is that I will become my father...quite a quandary huh. Okay, who's next."?

Colin jumped in "I am afraid of being average. "

Stephanie snorted drunkenly "that doesn't seem like much of a fear to me."

Colin pushed her genlty "Hey, you can't ridicule someone else's phobia, that's not allowed. If you think you are such a qualified judge lets hear yours. "

Stephanie closed her eyes but kept her head on Colin's shoulder "I'm afraid of being alone." Colin gave her a slightly surprised look, he had always thought of Stephanie as so self assured, so fun loving and beautiful, he could hardly imagine her without a doting boy toy. Who knew that was her secret fear?

Finn broke the silence; Colin staring at Stephanie could go on for hours if someone didn't jump in to stop it. He made a sweeping gesture with his hands and spoke in a grandiose tone "Well, I for one have no fear and no secrets...what you see is exactly what you get." Everyone regarded him with slowly blinking eyes and he dropped his hand to the table in defeat "Yeesh, tough room. Okay, okay, I guess it is only fair that I show you mine since you all showed me yours." He played with the shot glass in front of him for a contemplative moment before tipping it back and draining it of the last drop of liquid courage "I'm adopted."

Stunned silence descended with a crash onto the table. "What ?!" Logan was the first one to interject. "What do you mean you are adopted? I've known you since we were three years old, we have shared everything from a sand box to a jail cell how could I not know this?"

Colin was next "How long have you known?"

Finn looked up with a sigh and answered the questions in order "You didn't know because I didn't want you. I've known since I was 10, at first I didn't tell you because I was scared that you would somehow look at me differently and then it was because it just didn't seem that important anymore."

The silence stretched on and Rory figured she was the only one who could break it. Her secret could top even that. There was no use in adding a preamble, clean and quick was the best way to avoid the pain of a jagged wound. She blurted it out "I had an affair with a married man"

Four heads snapped towards her, four pairs of eyes blinked in obvious incomprehension. She continued with a slghtly shaking voice "I slept with Dean when he was still married to Lindsay and then I went to Europe to escape and I wrote him a letter and she found it and they ended up separated. I am the other woman and I didn't even do it for love, I did it because I was afraid and I was selfish." she was standing now with her hands on the table as she gestured emphatically, she could feel the hysteria and the repressed shame bubbling up inside her "I criticize you guys for your silly stunts and petty misdemeanors but in reality I am the only one at this table who is really a bad person. Who has really done something so wrong that it has probably left a permanent stain on my soul. I am over Dean but I'm not sure I will ever get over the shame of my cowardice."

She kept her head down. She didn't want to look at their faces, didn't want to see their disgust and disbelief. She could feel the tears threatening. She shoved away from the table scattering game pieces in her rush and she stumbled out the door towards the stairs. She made it to the top step before she collapsed as the tears overwhelmed her.

Shocked silence descended on the space she had vacated. Logan looked at the other three stunned faces and stood resolutely "I guess I had better go after her."

He found her on the top of the stairs and he felt a little crack in the walls around his heart when he saw her sobbing her heart out with her head on her knees and her arms hugging her legs to her body. He slowly ascended the stairs and sat down gently beside her. She didn't acknowledge him at first but continued the gut wrenching sobbing. When it began to subside he figured it was time to jump in. He cleared his throat, he had never known quite what to do with a hysterical female, and Colin was usually the supportive shoulder to cry on guy.

He went with his instincts "Well Ace, I have to give you credit, that was definitely a show stopper."

She gave a soft hiccupping sob and slowly raised her head. She looked at him through bleary bloodshot eyes, red rimmed from crying and he felt a little jolt in his heart. It wasn't even his mess to clean up but all he wanted to do was gather her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay.

"I guess you didn't see that one coming." She said in a soft forlorn voice "I think that I am a horrible person, I can't imagine what you think of me."

He leaned back on the top stair behind him and casually dropped his arm behind her, pulling her gently towards him. "It was unexpected. I never would have guessed you for the bombshell dropping type but you are wrong if you think it makes any of us think less of you." He turned her face with his other hand until she was looking at him "I may not have known you for very long Ace but I have seen enough to say without reservation that I know you are a good person. You might have a dangerous wit but you are sweet and smart and you genuinely care about people. If you were really a bad person you wouldn't have a second thought about what you did, instead you are sitting here wracked with guilt for something that was just a mistake. Granted it was a big mistake and you have probably used up your quota for a while" she gave a little half tilt of the lips at this "but in the end that is still what it was, a mistake an error in judgment, it happens to even the best people, it just means you are human. I'm sure you are very sorry and that you have done your penance with due diligence but now its time to give yourself a break." He looked her straight in the eyes "its time to let it go."

She stared at him for a long solemn moment and he could all but see the battle in her mind, the war of guilt and self-preservation. Finally she nodded ever so slightly and then laid her head down on his shoulder snuggling neatly in to the crook of his arm. "How did you get to be so smart?"

He smiled "I have lots of practice dealing with errors in judgement. Plenty of personal experience. Remind me to tell you sometime about Fiji, then you'll see what I mean."

Rory gave a little laugh "Thank you Logan. I misjudged you. You have your good moments and I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

He gave a friendly chuckle "Damn and with no witnesses for posterity. You probably won't even remember you said it tomorrow."

She gave him a sweet half smile "You can remind me."

They sat there for a long moment until Logan suddenly realized that Rory had dropped into sleep and was snoring slightly. He chuckled and spoke softly to himself "First girl that has ever fallen asleep literally on you and this is the second time she's done it. Logan, I think you are getting soft." He slowly extricated his arm from behind her head and stood facing her on the step below. Clearly she couldn't stay here, considering the options for a moment he finally sighed and bent down. In one smooth motion he lifted her and stepped into the upper hallway aiming towards one of the bedrooms. May be he would get a little shuteye as well while he was there.

Finn, Colin and Stephanie exchanged knowing glances as they stood at the base of the stair way and watched Logan carry the snoozing Rory out of sight. It was only a matter of time before those two figured out what the rest of them already knew. They were perfect for each other.


	26. A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

Rory awoke to the deep chiming of a grandfather clock. For whom the bell tolls indeed she thought as she counted the twelve chimes to midnight. She was on a bed in a darkened room lit only by the silvery light of the moon that streamed in from a window.

As her eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light and her other senses gradually came to life she realized that she was not alone. On the far side of the bed propped half sitting against the backboard was Logan. His deep even breathing and the dark shadow of eyelashes on his cheeks told her that he was still asleep. He was a good three feet away from her but incongruously their hands crossed the space that separated them and lay joined in the middle of the bed hers clasped atop his. She was struggling to recall how they had come to be here together. The memories filtered back slowly the nearly implausible story of the horrible machinations of his father, like the twisted plot of a Danielle Steele novel, the revelations about sleeping with Dean, crying on the stairs and waking as he carried her into this room. Then a last memory surfaced, she had asked him to stay.

She looked at him with new eyes. In the ghostly moonlight her eyes traced the lines of his face so relaxed and peaceful in its repose. It was the first time she had truly observed him without her attention focused on trying to anticipate what smart comment would exit his smirking lips next or what hidden message his teasing eyes held. It was the first time she had really focused on his face. Before last night she would have called him rakishly cute, kind of a cross between Val Kilmer in Real Genius and Ferris Bueller, scheming, cocky and charmingly irreverent. A bad boy who through some lucky combination of charm and intelligence managed to land on his feet even under the most improbable circumstances.

Logan with his party face on was amusing, entertaining, life of the party, leader of the pack and all that jazz, but in the end she could put him in a nice little niche and she could walk away from that Logan, she could keep him at a distance. She almost wished that was all he was, that Logan she could dissect and understand.

Last night had put a tiny crack in that facade and she was starting to suspect that the real Logan Huntzberger that hid behind that cocky grin and devil may care attitude wasn't nearly as easily categorized or dismissed as his public persona. She was starting to suspect that perhaps he was a sheep in wolf's clothing. That he wasn;t really as self absorbed or arrogant as he wanted people to believe. He was more than she had expected. As she stared at their joined hands she shivered. She wasn't sure it would be easy to walk away from Logan after all.

She watched him, in sleep he was a perfect specimen of nearly cherubic male beauty and she could nearly believe the little boy lost scenario.... treacherous territory to tread. She had been down that road once before with Jess, believing that he could change, or at least that there was a redeemable side to his bad boy ways and rebellious attitude. Jess wasn't a bad guy at all; he just hadn't been able to give her what she wanted, maybe had never had it to give. Dean was the opposite, he was safe, and all he had ever done is give her what she had wanted, only for her to realize that she didn't really know what she wanted. The thing that scared her about Logan is that he hadn't offered to give her anything, in fact if anything he was teaching her that waiting around for someone else to figure out what you want and give it to you was not only often fruitless but also infinitely less interesting. In some ways she thought, despite the difference in their methods that her mom would agree with Logan's philosophy, minus the criminal and life threatening stunts of course. Her mom had always approached life like a battle or at the very least a game where you took what you were dealt and tried to make it in to more, Lorelai Gilmore had never settled for what she was given, she had taken those cards and wheeled and dealed and schemed and charmed her way into peoples hearts to build a castle from them.

The slamming of a door and the high-pitched chatter of excited voices broke the stillness and catapulted Rory out of her musings. Logan's eyes fluttered open and connected like a high intensity beam with her scrutinizing gaze.

Caught staring at him redhanded she dropped her eyes self-consciously and pulled her hand from his before making a big show of stretching as if she had just awakened. She sat up and threw her legs over the bed before she looked back to catch him still staring at her with that intense perceptive stare. She shivered a little but then stiffened when he addressed her in a voice still slightly husky from sleep

"Don't worry Ace, you aren't the first girl I've caught daydreaming about me."

She cast him a dismissive glare " More like studying you for my next Psych 101 paper, I can see the title now "The Peter Pan Syndrome; An age old argument of nature vs. nurture."

He chuckled "I see the old Ace is back after her little setback and making up for lost time. So are you going to interview me as part of this study? You know an in depth look at the boy who wouldn't grow up."

"Absolutely:" she thrust a hand toward him pretending to hold a microphone "So, Mr. Pan, tell us what is life really like for the perpetually adolescent, inquiring minds want to know."

He grabbed her wrist "You really want to know what makes me tick, what winds my clock, what sets off my alarm? I'll give you a hint my dear Wendy it isn't crocodiles or old pirates with hooks or Indian Princesses or pixies."

His voice had gone low and sultry; his thumb was softly caressing the inside of her wrist and the air suddenly felt like breathing in syrup. Rory backed away from the question in his eyes as carefully as she could, things were shifting a bit to fast for her and this felt a little like the time that she had gone ice skating when she was about 6 and had ventured beyond the safety zone on the lake. The fear that had clutched her gut at that moment, when the treacherous, deceptive ice, so solid and beautiful in appearance had begun to crack in fine hairlines that spread outward in an ever widening net felt pretty much the same now as her solid footing threatend to buckle. She remembered standing there in frozen panic as her mom raced to reach her before she plunged into the icy depths of the lake. Only this time her mom wasn't around to rescue her so she was going to have to rely on her own wits.

She pulled her hand away and stood "Sorry to disappoint your rather impressive id but I think I already have all the answers I need."

He released her wrist but gave her an inquisitive look "You think you have me all figured out, is that it?" There isn't even the slightest possibility in your mind that you have me pegged wrong?"

She considered his question, a slippery slope indeed. She was not quite ready to admit that she had her doubts about her initial impressions of him; this would call into question some of the main tenets of her approach of life and change of that magnitude required a bit of percolation. Best to stick with the party line for now.

"Nope, its a statistical and metaphysical impossibility."

"Well, now this should be fun, you do know how much I love a good dare. Now I will greatly enjoy proving you wrong."

Rory rolled her eyes and headed for the door "Its good to have goals, better than your usual aimless pursuits but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for me to recant my opinion if I were you, I wouldn't want to have go find Finn to do CPR on you."

Logan gave a disgusted look "Now there's a mental image I really did not need imprinted on my subconscious."

She looked smug as she exited the room "I'm going to see what all the commotion is about."

She beat him to the bottom of the steps but he was close behind as they joined the milling group of LDB members and unknown strangers in blindfolds. Darcy who appeared to be the de facto leader of the milling contingent stepped towards them and gave them a knowing once over.

"Hey cuz, you look rested.' The sly tone was accompanied by a teasing wink in Rory's direction and Rory flushed beet red at the implication. Damn she should have thought about how it would look, the two of them coming downstairs together, obviously having only just awakened. She looked at Logan, silently urging him to set the record straight but he didn't seem to mind the inference one bit and moved blithely on to the next topic of discussion. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance, that was one black mark against his claims of pure heartedness.

Logan gestured to the group of blindfolded boys sitting on the couches in the parlor "Are we hosting a geek convention I don't know about? I think we have exceeded our pocket protector to person ratio by about 10 to 1. "

Darcy grabbed his arm and pulled him out of hearing range from the parlor with Rory trailing behind. "Those, my friend, are our chess team members." Rory vaguely remembered an item on the list that asked for 16 chess players from Ivy League chess teams.

"How did you get them here?" she asked peeking around the corner at the parlor and then paled at a sudden thought and turned back to Darcy with eyes as wide as saucers "You didn't kidnap them did you?"

"Hey honey, we are in this together, there is no I in team you know." Darcy held a straight face for about three seconds and then burst out laughing to Rory's dismay. "God, Finn told me you were gullible but I didn't believe it. The answer to your question is no, we didn't kidnap them, kidnapping and transporting across state lines is generally considered bad form, even for the LDB, plus we really don't like to tread in the jurisdiction of the FBI if we can help it. "

"So how did you get them here voluntarily?"

"Good old fashioned bribery."

"Money?" Rory asked surprised.

Darcy gave her an pitying look "No, of course not, most these guys have plenty of their own.... no, we offered them the one thing that is near and dear to any self respecting chess geeks' heart.... fame and notoriety. We told them we were holding a super secret chess tournament that only the top players in the country were invited to, sort of a search for the next Bobby Fischer type event. Every one of them fell for it hook, line and sinker." She gave a little self-congratulatory giggle "We even got them to sign secrecy agreements and convinced them that they had to wear blindfolds because the destination was top secret...to avoid the media blitz of course."

Logan stuck out his hand and Darcy shook it with a proud gleam in her eye "Beautiful work. I knew genius ran in the gene pool. So, now you just need to work your magic on eight more unsuspecting egomaniacs."

Darcy blew on her fingertips and rubbed them against her shirt "Piece of cake, just leave it to the master. You take these eight and we will meet you tonight at the manse. You are going to love my outfit." She turned to leave rounding up a few of the others to accompany her.

Rory turned to Logan in confusion "Manse? Outfit? Did I miss something?"

He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder "Again with the questions...just go with the flow Ace, we've gotten you past the half way point without death, injury or incarceration, we are in the home stretch. What can go wrong now?"

Twenty hours, three states, four close calls with various law enforcement officers and about five clicks past anything that Rory could even remotely call normal they were back on their home turf preparing for their last stunt before they retired to the final destination for the official ending of the Great Scavenger Hunt of 2004. The day had passed like a whirlwind, most of the stunts during the daylight hours had consisted of petty misdemeanors, minor slights of hand and collection of an eclectic mishmash of items. Rory had to give credit to the creative if slightly mentally questionable genius behind the list of required contraband. On the return trip they had shared the plane with a veritable menagerie, a full suit of armor, a bath robe from the Plaza (Rory still wished that she had been present to see Finn strut out of the hotel in his Emperor's Finest Clothes to pull that one off), a New York Subway sign and a NYPD police barricade, a flock of inflatable sheep, 8 chess team members all happily in blindfolds, the head of John Harvard, paraphernalia from most of the ivy league schools, a beer and a miniature flag from every country in the UN, a model of the Empire State Building made entirely of popsicle sticks, several of the great classic novels of the century all pilfered from various Ivy League libraries and a number of other items that Rory did not want to question the origin of for fear of violating deniability should the authorities come looking for said items.

She glanced around at the Yale campus, she was glad to be back on familiar soil. At least she was until Logan explained the last item on their list.

"You want me to help you break into the Dean of Student's office and steal all his furniture?" Logan nodded in the affirmative. "You do know that I actually want to graduate, you know get a little piece of paper with the good old Lux et Veritas that I can hang on my wall, I know it may seem a paltry goal to some but this is very important to me. "

"You have the strangest phobias." Finn commented thoughtfully.

She scoffed and crossed her arms "This from Mr. Heliophobia himself, king of the vampires."

Colin stepped in. "Don't worry Gilmore, no member of the LDB has ever not graduated, well except for the ones who dropped out, and that one that got deported and the one we lost on that trip to Mexico, is he still working in that brothel by the way?" he paused and looked around "I'm not helping am I?"

Rory shook her head "Not so much, but thanks for trying." She rolled her shoulders "Okay, lets just get this over with, I guess I've come this far and it would be totally ridiculous to back out now."

Logan slung an arm around one shoulder as she huddled looking slightly miserable "That's the spirit Ace, nothing like unbridled enthusiasm to get a stunt kicked off right. Now we are in this together, so we all have an interest in getting out in one piece without being discovered, in fact my inheritance depends on it and if that isn't a motivator I don't know what is."

She rolled her eyes and shivered in apprehension "Great to know you are in it for all the right reasons. "

"We are like the Three Musketeers, if one shall fall the others come to his rescue."

"I think Dumas just rolled in his grave."

"If so its only because we just made a woman the character of D'Artagnon."

She narrowed her eyes to retort and then thought better of it when she realized that she had just gotten more proof of her claim that he was a closet book lover. Her smile turned smug "You better watch it Huntzberger, your true colors are showing."

He gave a harrumph and then turned back to the task at hand. They were back to their perennial favorites the all black ensembles, this time complete with masks so they wouldn't be recognized on any security cameras. It was just the four of them, Logan, Colin, Finn and Rory. Logan and Colin were quibbling about how best to pick the lock to the building when with some grandeur Finn produced the piece de resistance...the key to the door. Rory rolled her eyes at his theatrics, Finn was a certifiable nutcase most of the time but he kind of grew on you. "Do we even want to know who you had to bribe or perform sexual favors on to get that key?"

He tried but failed at a martyred look "No one ever appreciates the sacrifices I make for the team."

Logan grabbed the key and inserted it in the lock, they all held their breath as he turned it and they gave a collective sigh of relief when the door swung easily open. They quickly entered and they crept silently along the deserted corridors pausing at every creak and misstep certain they had been discovered. When the finally reached the door to the Dean's office they discovered an unwelcome surprise, a keypad instead of a lock.

Logan turned to Finn "I don't suppose you have the code to that as well."

"Sorry,my bag of miracles is empty."

Without the code they were going to have to find another way in. Logan looked around the hallway in search of ideas. Suddenly he had a stroke of genius, he looked up at the ceiling and then back at Rory. Who began backing away and shaking her head as he explained his idea. About the only emotion that was getting through the daze was abject panic as Rory listened. She saw his mouth moving but she couldn't believe the words coming out. She looked disbelievingly at Logan again and her voice came out on a squeak as she stared up at the ceiling of hallway

"You want ME to climb through the heating vent to get into his office?" He nodded. Her whisper got more vehement "What about all that one for all and all for one stuff? You sure abandoned that pretty quickly, I guess chivalry really is dead and decomposed."

"You are the only one small enough and light enough to fit."

She looked up at the vent again. "Fine! Lets get this over with." She stood up and began to climb carefully on to Logan's shoulders. He stood so she was sitting on his shoulders then she slowly pushed herself up to half crouching as she reached for the vent. After a few pushes in began to move with a grating sound until finally it gave and the way was open. She slowly pushed her head up in to the opening, followed by her shoulders until she could grab on and lever herself up further. She was muttering rather caustic remarks about rodents and dust and the that she was going to inflict upon him should something go wrong with their little plan most of which would fit right in to Dante's Inferno at about the seventh level of hell.

He chuckled and she aimed a dirty look his way. "Laugh it up Bozo, you won't be laughing if I don't get out of here in one piece with my diploma getting skills still intact, my mother is a hell of a lot more fearsome than I am." He sobered at that, he had already had one reminder of that particular fact and still got the shivers.

Rory was eternally grateful that the section she had to climb through was blessedly short; she did not like dust and spider webs and dark tunnels that might contain rodents of unusual size. There were some fears that were just healthy common sense. She reached the section over the dean's office and peered down into the dark room certain that she was going to be discovered any minute. Once she had ascertained that the room was empty, at least as far as she could tell she carefully began to pull at vent. It was a little stuck but it finally gave with a screech of metal and Rory froze to make sure that there were no running feet or whistling security guards in response to the noise. Her heartbeat was so loud in her ears she doubted she could hear them anyway. She wiggled forward a little further so that she could see what was below the vent; thankfully there was a chair and a desk in close vicinity. She carefully began to inch her way forward until she could dangle one leg and then the other out of the vent. She was never, she assured herself, going anywhere with Logan Huntzberger again if she survived the rest of this night. She finally got her legs and body through the vent and with one last look down she carefully lowered herself until she was hanging by her hands, her feet could quite touch the desk or the chair so she finally gave a little kick, aiming for the desk and let go of her hold on vent. She missed the desk and land rather ungraciously in the chair with a loud thud. She picked herself up and limped towards the door, she seriously needed hazard pay for this. It took her a moment To figure out the latch and then she pulled the door open as silently as she could and peered out to gesture her partners in. When she was met with an empty corridor, she was about to go in search of her erstwhile companions with deadly vengeance in mind when the deserters appeared out of the janitor's closet across the hall.

"Well its about time" she said with hands on hips, refusing to act relieved.

Logan shrugged helplessly "Hey, we heard a noise, sounded like a herd of elephants or something.'

She glared at him "That was my butt hitting the chair from about a 8 foot drop." she rubbed the injured area with a pouting look "It still hurts too I'll have you know."

Finn sidled up to them "You know for a little thing you sure do make a lot of noise." she smacked him on the arm before turning back to the office and gesturing them in.

Their instructions said that they had to break into the Dean of Student's office and move all of the furniture to the roof of the building and set it up in an exact replica of his office. Being one of the "weaklings" as Finn so lovingly put it she had been put in charge of the diagram. Rory pulled a small notebook out of her back pocket and began to make a rough diagram of the office furniture.

Logan looked over her shoulder "make sure you get it right, they will dock us points if anything is wrong." Just to be sure they took a couple of pictures with the camera phone as well and then began to move the furniture. It was laborious work and took them nearly an hour. Logan and Rory were just finishing up the last minute touches while Finn and Colin cleaned up the evidence of their entrance downstairs. Rory surveyed the scene with a critical eye. It was hard to believe that they had actually managed to get it all up here without being seen, but then I guess not many security guards were watching the Dean's office on Sunday night as time marched towards midnight, there probably many more important uses of their time, like donut eating and watching football and maybe occasionally breaking up an underage party, just to keep their average up.

She sighed as she sat down with a plop in the chair and stared up at the stars as she swiveled. Logan joined her, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Is it over yet?" she asked in a tired voice. He watched her for a long moment, caught by the line of her slender graceful neck as it arched backward, the fall of dark eyelashes on her cheeks as she sighed in exhaustion.

He cleared his throat before he answered. "Not quite but we are nearing the finish line and from here on out its all about rewarding yourself for a job well done."

"More hedonistic pleasure huh?" her eyes were still closed. He watched her lips move and found himself mesmerized by their soft curve. He wanted to kiss her. This baffling urge seemed to be coming more frequently now. The silence was palpable for a long moment as Logan tried to wipe the suggestive thoughts from his mind and Rory feared that he had left.

She opened her eyes and caught his thoughtful expression. She wasn't sure what to make of it as she cocked her head at him in curiosity. "Penny for your thoughts partner."

He shook his head dismissively and scrambled for an acceptable answer. "Uh" it was rare that Logan was at a loss for words and this got Rory's attention. He pointed out over the campus "Just looking at how beautiful the campus is up from up here." That diverted her sufficiently for him to rise from the desk and walk towards the edge of the roof.

Rory followed him and when she spoke her voice held a note of soft wonder "I have always thought that Yale had one of the most beautiful campuses in the Ivy Leagues, even when I wasn't planning on attending it."

This surprised him "You weren't going to go to Yale? I would have pegged you for the type that knew her college of choice in preschool when other kids were still learning how to spell their own name."

She laughed a little as she leaned on a parapet looking out over the darkened campus "You aren't far off, I think my first word might have been Harvard."

Now he was shocked, a legacy of Yale attending Harvard, it was unheard of. "You were going to go to Harvard, after your family had gone here for generations?"

She shrugged "My family is an odd amalgam of the old and new regimes you might say, I think maybe it started out as a power struggle between my mom and my grandfather but for a long time I really wanted Harvard for myself.'

He was listening curiously now. "So what happened?"

"I got in both places and in the end I guess I followed my heart and my gut. I liked the tradition and being able to share this experience with my grandparents, I guess it hurt my mom that I turned my back on her dream for me, our dream I guess, but luckily our relationship was strong enough to survive it. I think in the end she just wants me to be happy."

He stared out over the rooftops of Yale for a minute "You're lucky." His voice had a note of wistfulness rarely a part of his emotional repertoire.

Rory shrugged slightly uncomfortable with the sensitive ground they were treading. "Yeah, I am, I guess sometimes its easy to take for granted what has always been there but I am starting to see just how lucky I am."

A long pause stretched between them before she broke the silence again in a thoughtful tone "You know, if I were the Dean I would insist that they build my office up here in a room entirely made of windows...you can't beat the view."

Logan looked at her with a smile and bumped her shoulder with his own, glad to be back on stable ground "Okay Willy Wonka, do you want a glass elevator too?"

She gave him an impish smile "Of Course Daddy Warbucks, what use would an office be without an elevator, you know we Gilmore Girls abhor excessive physical labor of any sort."

He chuckled and then offered her an elbow "Well my dear Gilmore Girl are you ready for our final destination?"

She looked slightly doubtful "Does it involve wild animals or ritual sacrifice?"

He considered the question for an uncomfortable length of time before smiling mischeviously "None of that on the menu for tonight but I will promise a night to remember."


	27. A Night to Remember

They had come full circle, back to nearing midnight, back to the black SUV, back to the blindfold and this time Rory was too tired to complain. She knew she was sitting in the middle of the car seat between two others and if her senses were correct she thought the one on her right was Logan. By this stage in the game she trusted Logan and the others to at least get her there in one piece.

"Wake me when we get there." It came out a mumble and then she succumbed to exhaustion slumping unconsciously towards Logan until her head rested on his shoulder. Colin, sitting on the other side of Rory didn't miss the fleeting look of tenderness on the usually stoic face of his friend. Whether he was ready ot admit it of not Logan was falling hard.

Rory didn't wake until the SUV pulled onto a long gravel drive. As the car bumped over the rocky terrain she sat up slowly and attempted to rub her sleepy eyes but her hand hit the silky fabric of the blindfold. They pulled to a stop and there was the sound of doors opening. She could hear the others disembarking and then Logan grabbed her arm and guided her down the step to the ground. Logan steadied her when she wavered, still drowsy and waited until the others were a few steps ahead to face Rory.

"It's like de ja vu, I even smell trees again" she said with a laugh in her voice "Only I think they are a different kind...they don't smell as piney."

He chuckled softly "You should change majors and become a Botanist, you seem to have an affinity for it." She almost rolled her eyes at his teasing but then realized it would be a wasted effort since he couldn't see beyond the blindfold. He reached around her head and gently untied the blindfold and pulled it free. His fingers lingered a tiny millisecond longer than necessary in the silk of her hair and then he withdrew them deliberately putting them in his pockets to avoid the itch of temptation. Rory was taking in their surroundings. A house that could only be described as a mansion sat in the middle of a vast spread of land. glowed in the dark with The buttery golden light pouring from the top floor windows glowed in the darkness of the cold crisp night. Logan nudged her away from the open car door and pulled a box out from under a seat and handed it to her.

"I thought you might need this for the party. When we get inside Stephanie will show you where to get dressed." She looked at him curiously as she took the box. Their hands touched as he passed her the box and there was a tiny flash of awareness that passed between them.

She quickly diverted her attention to the monstrous house in front of them "What is this place?"

"Its an old estate that belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Connecticut, it has been abandoned for nearly 20 years. The club has been using it for certain events for a number of years, it is isolated and no one bothers us out here."

She looked askance at him "It wouldn't happen to be your family would it?"

He held up his hands in surrender "I plead the fifth."

"Can you tell me where we are?"

He shook an admonishing finger at her "Now Ace, no cheating, you remember the rules."

She sighed, "I surrender, can you at least tell me the schedule of events for the evening?"

They were walking towards the house as they spoke. They paused at the heavy woodend doors and Logan looked Rory directly in the eye. She felt a tiny little tingle at the base of her spine as he held her gaze.

His voice was soft, persuasive. "Relax Ace, just enjoy yourself, this is supposed to be fun. Frolicking and gaiety for no other purpose than enjoyment. Let loose, take a few risks and live a little. You can always write it down in that little book of yours later." Logan swung open the heavy wood door with a grandiose flourish and bowed low "After you milady."

She was sure her chin barely missed hitting the floor as they entered the antiquated surroundings. Most of the downstairs was dark but a central staircase of polished marble was lit with the flickering glow of candles that enticed you upward to the unknown. Rory felt sort of like she was in a museum and caught herself tiptoeing in fear of disturbing the silence that cloaked the rooms. When they reached the second floor she could see more of the detail. The house was opulent, heavy tapestries and brocade drapes in rich jewel tones covered the walls; the floor was a spotless polished cherry. To the left she could just catch a glimpse of a marble floored ballroom blazing with light.

Before she could investigate further Stephanie appeared from a hallway to the right and grabbed her arm eagerly. "Come on lets get dressed so we can get this party started." She let Stephanie drag her away with a longsuffering look back at Logan. This was met with a playful wink and a little wave. "II'll let you ladies retire to prepare for your big makeover scene."

They entered a room that looked like it might have served as a ladies sitting room at some point in the long distant past. There were several other girls in the room fixing their makeup but the person who caught her attention was Finn who was lounging on a small settee with a look that made her shiver. Diabolical would be a euphemistic term for that look. When he gave Stephanie a conspiratorial nod she glanced back at the blonde with apprehension clearly painted across her features. Stephanie had shooed the other girls out of the room and closed the heavy double doors behind her with an artless look at Rory. She grabbed the box out of Rory's hands and set it on a large armoire that sat to one side of the room. Next to it sat an identical box.

She turned back to Rory. "We are here to do you a favor."

Rory didn't like the sound of that at all. She seriously doubted that anything that they considered a favor would strike her in quite that light. Rory looked from one schemer to the other but was met with silent stares. When no explanation was forthcoming she stalked over to the armoire and pulled the tops off each of the white boxes in turn. She stood staring at the dresses that resided in each.

"Alright I'm beginning to feel a bit like Eliza in My Fair Lady here." She looked pointedly at Finn "Care to explain Professor Higgins?"

Stephanie jumped in "This isn't a Pygmalion project. Its more like you are Cinderella and we are your fairy godmothers."

Rory cocked an eyebrow at Finn "You do not object to being called a fairy godmother?"

Finn sniffed haughtily "I'm secure in my manhood. Besides sometimes one has to make sacrifices to win the game in the end."

She pulled the one from the box that Logan had given her out first and held it up for her perusal. She couldn't deny it was beautiful, simple, and elegant. It was dark blue satin and fell in a chaste bell to the floor.

Finn stood behind her now judging the gown with a critical eye "Now I won't deny Logan's taste in beautiful female attire, that dress is lovely, innocent, perfect for the Rory Gilmore that we have all come to know and love. That would be safe choice and you would no doubt look stunning in it, if a little chaste." She set it down and hesitantly pulled the other dress from the box. It was elegant and simple as well, that was where the similarities ended. The front was a simple sheath of silk in a blood red tone so dark it looked nearly black with a simple straight cut bodice with tiny straps. It was the back, or perhaps it was more appropriate to say the lack of back that was worrisome.

Finn saw the deer in the headlights look in her eyes and quickly grabbed both dresses and piled them in her arms..."Here, remember that whole thing about overanalyzing...don't do it. Just try them both on and then you can decide which you want to wear."

Stephanie pointed her to a small changing room. Once inside she hesitated again as she looked at both dresses. They were both lovely but the red one was more risqué than she would normally wear, although in the last 48 hours normality had ceaased to have any real foundation. She chickened out and tried the blue on first. As expected it was a perfect fit, soft and flowing and beautiful. She felt like a princess.

She exited the small room to show her companions. They appeared dutifully impressed. Finn nodded in acknowledgement "As I said, Logan has excellent taste." She almost decided then and there. The other dress just wasn't her style. Then Logan's words to her echoed in her head "Let loose, take a few risks and live a little." Maybe the point was that she needed a change of style, soemthing new to shake up her mundane existence.

With new determination she returned to the dressing room and removed the blue dress. She stood for a long moment with the red dress in her hands and then she resolutely stepped into it. She zipped it up and then stood staring into the full-length mirror. It was beautiful and sexy, revealing just enough of her creamy skin to tantalize the imagination. She almost didn't recognize herself in the mirror. The front looked deceptively innocent although it molded to every inch of her body without a wasted inch of fabric but the back dipped nearly to her waste exposing an expanse of skin that was shocking and a tiny bit chilly. Taking a deep breath she slowly opened the door into the sitting room and felt curious eyes riveted on her.

Finn let out a whistle and exclaimed in an excited voice "By George, Eliza, the streets will be strewn with the bodies of men shooting themselves for your sake before I'm done with you." She rolled her eyes as he practically clapped his hands together in glee. He looked triumphantly at his partner in crime as he circled her

"See I told you there was a siren lurking in our little Woodward. Logan will never know what hit him."

Stephanie nodded in agreement as she looked at Rory from head to toe with a critical eye. "Finn may not know haute couture like Logan does but he knows male hormones. He is the regular Carson of the LDB set. Logan is going to have a heart attack, or at least a hormone attack if he sees you in that dress."

Rory looked at them, unsure "Is that a good thing?"

Finn nodded with a wicked gleam in his eye "Absolutely!"

Stephanie continued, "Really, this is the easiest way to winning this round. You don't have to do or say anything out of the ordinary. That dress does all the talking for you."

They both regarded her with expectant eyes. "Its up to you kid, you can go the easy elegant route or you can go for a splash. Your call." They waited as she weighed the optionsShe wasn't really sure what she would do with Logan if their little plan worked. Maybe this was a bad idea. She almost took the easy way but there was a small usually gagged part of her, probably the part that came from Lorelei, that was chafing at the bounds of her usual role and there was a certain evil gleeful woman inside her that would love to see the look on Logan's usually arrogant, self-assured face when he saw her. She could play the innocent damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by prince charming or she could play the seductress for one night. For once she cast caution to the wind, wearing a sexy dress for a couple of hours wasn't the worse thing she had ever done and ultimately little harm could come from it other than self-consciousness.

She squared her shoulders, took a deep calming breath and turned to her accomplices. "Okay, what are we waiting for, lets paint this town red."

The grins that greeted her were wide and victorious. Stephanie handed her a pair of red satin heels that matched the dress to perfection and a diamond necklace that Rory hoped with all her heart was NOT real. Rory eyed the shoes with a droll look before slipping them on her feet. "Ruby slippers. How fitting." Her voice was a shade off dry. "Although maybe in keeping with the theme they should be glass and disappear at the stroke of midnight." Stephanie gestured for her to sit down momentarily and in an impressive show of enviable skill had her hair up in a tight elegant french twist in minutes.

Finn gallantly offered her an arm "Logan may have an eye for dress sizes but I am the master when it comes to dressing for seduction." She linked an arm on either side with her "allies" and they headed out, ready to conquer the unconquerable and bring the king to his knees. When they reached the door to the ballroom Stephanie released her arm and flitted ahead into the festive room. Finn leaned in and whispered in her ear "It's show time! Gilmore, you're going out a youngster, but you'll come back a star!"

She cast him an odd glance but he blithely ignored it as they entered the main room. It looked a little like something out of Vanity Faire with scattered groups of well-dressed men and women amongst colorful pillows, lounging with food and champagne. The timbre in the room had already risen to a pleasant hum of activity. She and Finn walked towards a group of revelers and Rory could do nothing but gape at their surroundings. It looked like a picture straight out of a society magazine of the golden age of classic movies, the men dapper in tuxedos and tails, the women in glamorous richly colored gowns. In fact they easily could have passed as the movie stars of old. She paused at the thought as she took in the outfits of her companions. She hadn't paid much attention to caught up in the quandary of her own attire but now that she focused on them she realized there was something engagingly familiar about their costumes. She looked at the white and silver sequined dress that Stephanie wore with a white fur wrap and suddenly it snapped in to place. They actually were old movies stars...Stephanie looked just like Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot, Darcy was next to identical to Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, and she, well, she'd be damned if she hadn't just stepped off the poster for breakfast at Tiffany's, although her dress wasn't quite black. Loooking around she saw an Ava Gardner, Lauren Bacall, Mae West and even a Ingrid Bergman look alike. One thing you had to say about this LDB crowd is that they never did anything halfway.

She leaned over to Finn "Who are you supposed to be?"

He pouted slightly "I'm hurt you couldn't guess, I'm Dean Martin of course" he pointed "Colin is Gene Kelly, of Singin' in the Rain fame of course and our friend Logan is quite dapper as a young Robert Redford."

She laughed "You never fail to surprise me."

He smiled "My mission in life has been accomplished, now I can die happy. Get ready for your debut my dear, because you know wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience, there's theatre. "

As they joined the group Rory recognized Colin, Stephanie and Darcy, a few of the others present were familiar faces but, as instructed, she had not been told their names. Logan turned towards the group after conversing with a young man by the bar and stopped dead in his tracks. He felt his mouth go bone dry as he took in the ethereal sight before him, Rory was...ravishing. She was practically sin incarnate in a wine dark dress that kissed the edge of propriety. It hugged every inch of her elegant curves and showed an expanse of creamy skin that bordered on indecent but still managed to look refined. The sexual innuendo of the dress only emphasized Rory's angelic pallor and dark hair, highlighting her innocence and making the dichotomy all the more alluring. It was NOT the dress that he had given her. He had no doubt that Finn was behind that dress.

Gathering his scattered wits he stepped forward and held a hand to his heart as if faint with shock "I burn, I pine, I perish" he said with great melodrama, he gave a gallant bow and kissed the back of her hand barely suppressing the shiver at the feel of her skin on his then he gave her an admiring look "You know, this is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing. It's really marvelous." She was flustered for a second at the hot fire of his eyes as they raked over her.

Colin looked over at Stephanie who had jsut joined them with a galss of champagene in hand, his voice was dramatically woeful "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." He seemed not notice when Rory gave him a strange look.

Finn turned to Logan with a smirk and gestured to the tuxedos they were both wearing "You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good."

"The stuff that dreams is made of." Logan teased back.

Finn preened a bit, handsome in his tuxedo "Every dog has his day but the nights are mine"

Things were beginning to click in Rory's mind "So the Hollywood's Golden Age, is that the theme for the night?"

Another of the boys in the group gave her a disapproving look and said in a censuring tone. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."

She looked at Logan there was clearly a game afoot that she was out of the loop on "You know it's painful when you throw me into these games without a little hint of the rules."

Logan just winked. "Life is pain highness, anyone who tells you differently is selling something."

She was about to retort but something about the comment caught her attention, she had heard that line before. Suddenly it came to her, The Princess Brid, of course. They were all using lines from movies. Now this was a game that a life with Lorelai Gilmore had prepared her for.

Logan watched her as the rest of the group continued to converse. He could see her mind working, trying to solve the puzzle and he saw the exact moment that she figured it out because her eyes lit up with a triumphant gleam and she rubbed her hands together with anticipation.

She looked around and said in awed tone "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." She looked so pleased with herself that he laughed.

He gave her a proud smile "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Finn gestured grandly to the collected ensemble "Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter, Sermons and soda-water the day after. " Now he gestured towards one corner of the room where she could sees a bar set up.

Logan leaned towards Rory with little laugh and whispered in her ear "My advice to you... is to start drinking heavily."

Rory was enjoying this little game by now and was frantically trying to come up with the best lines from her vast mental databases of movie trivia. She knew that little vice of hers and her mothers was going to come in handy soemtime. She gave him a solemn look "I've flown this route before. It was on the wings of a demon."

He grabbed her elbow and steered her towards the bar ""Come on, darling. Why don't you kick off your spurs?"

"Do you always begin conversations this way ?" She cocked an eyebrow "This may come as a shock to you, but there are some men who don't end every sentence with a proposition."

He cast a wicked little sideways grin at her before turning towards the bar. "You want the fairy tale."

She rolled her eyes as they reached the bar but then thought of the perfect line ""Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side...and don't be stingy, baby." The bartender gave her a somewhat confused look but dutifully filled her order.

Logan gave her an appreciative look and turned to the bartender himself with a careless wave "A martini. Shaken, not stirred."

When they both had their drinks Logan held up his glass in a toast "Here's looking at you, kid."

She continued with her own toast. "With my brains and your looks, we could go places."

He chuckled at that one "See, who needs affection when I have blind hatred?"

She mirrored his usual smirk and cocky tone "Be afraid. Be very afraid." She took a sip of her drink and nearly choked as the liquor burned down her throat.

"Being bad feels pretty good, huh?" His eyes were dancing in amusement as she looked up at him with watering eyes, note to self, NEVER drink whiskey straight.

"I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?" she gave another little cough.

The rest of the group watched the two by the bar with avid eyes. Finn leaned over to Colin as they watched Rory and Logan laugh at some certainly inane conversation, those two could put Harry and Sally to shame any day, talk, talk, talk, but no action. He decided it was about time for someone to give the inept pair a little push.

"You cannot leave everything to Fate, boy. She's got a lot to do. Sometimes you must give her a hand. "

Stephanie looked at him sideways "What do you have in mind?"

"We're on a mission from God." He said with an air of importance before he headed towards the unsuspecting pair, Stephanie gave him a thumbs up and then turned to face Colin

"This is either madness... or brilliance."

Colin nodded and touched his glass to hers in a toast "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."

Stephanie laughed as she sipped her champagne "We all go a little mad sometimes."

Colin pondered that for a second "True, but who is the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?

Finn approached Rory and Logan who were currently locked in a battle of gazes, who knew what snappy comeback had started this one. They were lucky to have a friend like him to set their feet on the correct path, otherwise they might still be standing her ein this impasse ten years hence.

He put an around each of their shoulders and then said in an admonishing tone "Hey Hey! What's this I see? I thought this was a party. LET'S DANCE!"

As if he had spoken the magic words the band started up a new song. Finn dapper in his black tuxedo and clearly already quite tipsy although how he had managed that feat in the small time they had been in the room was a question to be pondered, held out his hand to Rory with a wink and a mischievous smile that was impossible to refuse. "Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"

"Surely you can't be serious." She returned in a droll voice.

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." She laughed despite herself when he finished the quote.

"You are good."

He nodded completely without humility "i know, I've been practicing."

She toasted Logan with her glass and downed the rest of her drink with only a slight sputtering cough before she put her arm in Finn's. Her tone was questioning as she glanced at Logan "Is it safe? "

He gave her a pat on the shoulder before Finn whirled her on to the dance floor. "A life lived in fear is a life half lived. " he murmured almost to himself.

Finn's tone was conversational as he swung her out onto the floor in to a waltz. "Not many people know it, but the Führer was a terrific dancer." Finn was, perhaps not surprisingly an excellent dancer, despite being half drunk, or maybe because he was half drunk, it wouldn't surprise her either way.

"So now you are a student of history?"

"It's yet another in a long series of diversions in an attempt to avoid responsibility." he said in a grevious tone.

"Why not chuck it all and start your own think tank?"

"Not really my style, I myself subscribe more to the European philosophy of life, my priorities leaning towards wine, women and... Well that's about it."

Rory laughed, it was almost impossible not to laugh at Finn, which she suspected was exactly his goal.

Logan watched Rory and Finn move together on the dance floor and couldn't help a twinge of jealousy as he watched Rory toss back her head with a hearty laugh. He was suave and good at romancing the ladies but he had always envied Finn his off-beat zany charm. He had a way of putting people at ease that was something that was a natural as breathing to him. Most people probably considered Finn a joke, and he preferred it that way but in reality he was a shrewd judge of character and had a knack for winning over even his toughest critics. If Finn ever decided to become a politician they would all need a country to relocate to in a hurry.

Logan was a step a way from cutting in when he saw Colin tap Finn and grab Rory's waist as he spun her onto the floor again. With the faint rosy flush on her cheeks and the slightly mussed wisps of hair falling free around her cheeks she was a vision.

Logan was surprised out of his contemplation by Stephanie's voice at his elbow. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it."

He glanced quickly at Stephanie's pixie face. She was one of his best friends but right at this moment he really disliked the fact that it seemed his friends suddenly deemed him transparent. Since when could just anyone read him like an open book? Rory Gilmore was going to be the downfall of him for sure. Just when he thought he had the advantage and controlled the ball in his court she somehow unbalanced him and stole it out from under him without even breaking a sweat. He had never met a girl more infuriating or more determined to keep him at arms length, consequently, he had never met a girl who was more intriguing or worthy of pursuit.

Stephanie continued watching the dancing couple as well. "When you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose. Right?" she said with no intonation whatsoever.

"I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." He said with crossed arms and a snotty sniff.

"Are you with me or do you need me to draw it in crayon like usual?" She put her hands on her hips "You are being deliberately obtuse. All right, Opportunity knocked and you failed to answer. Consider yourself warned."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, Ms. "I Have An Opinion About Everything."

She gave him a knowing smirk "Expressing my opinion is not a terrorist action. " she spun and walked purposefully towards the dance floor. Apparently opportunity was about to knock again.

Logan followed on her heels and soon they were standing directly behind the dancing Rory and Colin who appeared to be having an animated conversation. Stephanie tapped Colin on the shoulder and when he turned to her she was brief and to the point "Dance with me." It was an order which he hastily obeyed casting an apologetic glance back at Rory.

She missed it entirely because she and Logan were now focused on one another again as Logan bowed before her "Your dream prince, reporting for duty!"

She rolled her eyes "I detest cheap sentiment." She said with some chagrin.

He offered her his hand and a playful leer ""Ya wanna dance or would you rather just suck face?"

She rolled her eyes again but accepted his hand "You really are evil, like the fruits of the devil."

His grin was bold as he took her proffered hand and spun her into the whirling crowd with a masterful twirl "If you wanna call me that, smile."

Rory was surprised at Logan's skill as a dancer although she supposed she shouldn't have been after all he was born into the kind of life where the waltz was learned along with your abc's in preschool, all training to be the perfect little gentleman, polished to a smooth gleam on the surface to hide the imperfections and humanity beneath. She shivered at the touch of his hand on the bare skin of her back but then resolutely focused her attention on what he was saying. At first they were so focused on the ongoing battle of wits that they danced almost unconsciously their steps effortlessly in sync as his hand at the small of her back guided her.

"You are an excellent dancer."

"You sound surprised." One song ended and another melody began with a seamless transition. Rory wasn't much of a dance aficionado but even she recognized the melody as a tango.

"You can tango?" It came out a sort of half question. "Did they teach you that in charm school?"

"It is no indication of insanity to tango. " He skillfully pulled her closer in a sensuous dip, had she been paying attention she might have heeded the warning signs. "You know George Bernard Shaw always said that dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire and as they say it does take two...." he trailed off with a sexy wink.

She bridled at the innuendo that he was slathering on rather thickly with a playful glare she retorted, "Let's get this straightened out right now. If you're nursing any silly notion that I'm interested in you, forget it. You're just a headline to me."

He looked quite pained "That does put a damper on our relationship" his tone was melancholy and regretful as if he were quite certain that she was being sincere. Then he cocked an eyebrow at her and issued a challenge "I don't believe it for a second though. Prove it..."

"What?"

"Prove it...if you don't have any feeling beyond friendship for me then kiss me, it should prove your point."

Her eyebrows went up "There's the brink of insanity and then there is the abyss which obviously you have fallen in to. "

He nodded solemnly "It's the truth. From a certain point of view. But I do like to follow the advice of the immortal Mark Twain when he said Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth."

She shook her head in disbelief, "I give up. You are a slippery little sucker and impossible to out maneuver.'

He smiled, and in that smile was a triumphant gleam of awareness "You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well, I accept."

She gazed straight into his eyes, realizing that she was seriously considering his challenge. She was considering kissing Logan Huntzberger! Maybe she was the one who had gone insane. The worse part about it was she was considering it maybe more to reassure herself than him, to prove to herself that there was nothing between them but a few enjoyable debates and a scattered poignant moment or two. Just the fleeting, nothing permanent.

"We are not normal people." She finally said with a shake of her head. He could see her losing the battle with reason and felt a little thrill at the thought of kissing her, but he was determined that she would make the first move, even if it was only on a dare.

"My darling girl, when are you going to understand that "normal" is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."

After a moment they lapsed into silence as they both considered the astuteness of those words, the awareness of their physical contact seeped slowly into conscious thought. Rory tried at first not to notice but after a second she let herself enjoy the flow of movement. They just fit; the steps came with unnatural grace as if they had danced together a thousand times. Logan unconsciously pulled her a step closer until there was only an inch of space between them. Rory felt a flush of heat creeping up from somewhere in the vicinity of her gut to the back of her neck. The notes of the orchestra were mere accompaniment to the real music that played between them in that inch of space that separated them, the harmony played out in their steps, the dips and twirls felt like floating. Rory's eyes locked onto the warm honeyed depths of his gaze and almost of its own volition her lips dipped closer to his. She hovered there for a second, hearing the last silenced screams of her rational mind. This was dangerous; Logan was dangerous, to her sanity, to her life, as she knew it. It was too late though, too late to pull away from that precipice because now she had peered over its edge and seen the wonders to be had with just one little step. With a resolution that belied her quaking heart she took the leap bringing her lips up to meet his. Then the real magic began.

Rory felt like she was being carried up to a crescendo of a perfect wave teetering on that edge as she and Logan breathed only each other. The real melody was in the dancing of their mouths, the heat of their skin as that somehow melded to form a perfect cresecendoing wave as beautiful and natural as any wave that had ever washed over an isolated stretch of sandy beach, obliterating all traces of what had come before it. Logan tightened his grasp on her until she was close as humanly possible while they still managed to remain standing. This was like no first kiss he had ever had.

Finn and Colin both had their eyes riveted on the dancing couple; they might as well have been the only ones on the dance floor for all their attention to their surroundings. All verbal conversation had ceased several minutes previous and they appeared to be conversing entirely via telepathic mind meld. The most surprising thing about the kiss was that Rory seemed to be the one who initiated it, although Finn suspected that Logan might have had a hand in goading her into it. It was clear to all the vicarious onlookers from the heat of that kiss, practically steaming up the windows that whatever pretense Logan had clung to that this was a mere dalliance had just gone the way of the dodo.

This was no paltry peckish, lets be friends kiss, or hesitant, sweaty palmed nervouce first kiss, this was a bring in the symphony- break out the hankies -let the lovers ride off into a beautiful sunset -roll the credits- kind of kiss. Clearly off the charts on any passion-o-meter Finn had seen. It was about time too, I mean how much vicarious sexual tension could the rest of them handle before they had to resort something devious and desperate.

Suddenly Colin leaned over towards Finn and pointed to one side of the room as he spoke in a harsh whisper "Houston, we have a problem."

Finn's eyes widened as they landed on the object of Colin's interest. Finn's smile broadened as he considered the implications of this newest twist, Logan never did disappoint when he promised a spectacle. His comment was on the sly side "Sweet are the uses of adversity. " He stopped Colin with an outstretched hand when he would have intervened. "My dear Colin I think it's safe to say that this party is about to become a historical fact"

"Rory?" A familiar voice tore through the sublime, the shock in the tone rippling through the room and bringing that floating moment of euphoria to a crashing halt. The spell was broken. As recognition sunk slowly into her befuddled brain Rory felt as if she had literally been kicked right off the cloud she had been existing on and was headed for ground at a breakneck speed with no parachute in sight. She pushed back from Logan nearly losing her balance in her rush to create some breathing space and a combination of panic, astonishment and shame washed her face a pale white and red flags rode high on her cheekbones.

"Marty?" her voice came out a shaky whisper as she turned to face their guest. The look, the tone, the distancing step all combined to kick Logan flat in the chest and he came up from the onslaught gasping sure that every breath of air had been forced out of his lungs in one fell blow.

Finn and Colin watched with darting eyes as all color left Logan's face and then was quickly replaced by a tone near magenta. Stephanie joined them and murmured in a soft voice "Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast."

Finn nodded never taking his eyes off the drama in front of them. "Life is full of interruptions and complications, but you've seen the films, kiddo. It ain't over 'til it's over. Man I wish I had some popcorn, this here is shaping up to be the Greatest Show on Earth."

The room resembled a frozen tableau from a fantasy movie where a witch has frown all movement except for the main protagonists... everyone watched spellbound as the drama played out. Logan was way past thought, he was just reacting to the still rippling shock waves from the kiss and the crippling blow of rejection that had followed so closely on its heels. He lamented his luck, it seemed with Rory that nothing ever worked according to plan and his frustration was suddenly focused like a laser beam on the one boy who always seemed to be inconveniently standing between him and Rory.

Logan spun towards the intruder with venom in his eyes; He prepared to fire the killing shot. "I thought we paid you to bartend, not to chaperone." His voice came out imperious and cold. Marty froze disbelief flashing across his features. It chilled Logan to the bone that in that moment he sounded exactly like his father. The tone was regrettable and he saw his mistake the instant his eyes locked on Rory's face. Her eyes flickered past something that he didn't care to name but recognized as disappointment and landed at an emotion akin to sadness.

Her voice was soft and cool and nearly without inflection. Flat, like her eyes had gone as if someone had drawn a curtain over whatever emotion played behind those windows to the soul. "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." She ended on a pointed glare and then her tongue lashed him once more "What an excellent day for an exorcism."

She spun on her heel with military precision and walked towards the balcony doors that flanked one side of the room. Her back was ramrod straight and Logan would have given anything to take backed the last seconds of time. He could feel the fragile foundation of friendship they had built in the last weeks crumbling to sand beneath his feet.

Marty gave him a look of utter disgust after they both watched Rory vanish through the doors. . "Why don't you stick to your own kind Huntzberger, you aren't good enough for Rory." His tone was derisive and Logan felt his anger resurrect itself, like a phoenix from the ashes of his self-recrimination. He might realize that there was more than a grain of truth to the other boy's words but he'd be damned if he'd let a lowly bartender rub salt in his wounds. He turned with a malicious gleam in his eyes ready to tear the other boy to shreds but Colin stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

Logan backed away with a snarl "We will live to fight another day".

Finn followed up with a happy go lucky; slightly drunk slap on each of the boy's arms "I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically." He paused and then he made a sweeping gesture "And now my friends the time has come to talk of other things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax. Of cabbages and kings."

Marty gave them all a disgruntled look and then turned quickly to follow Rory's footsteps to the balcony. Finn's hand held Logan in place "Give her some time mate, the night's been a bit of a whirlwind." Logan stood for a long moment watching the door, clearly fighting the urge to follow Rory and the other boy. Finn watched him stew for a moment gave him a sagacious look and then put his arm around his shoulder "It's amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy."

That got Logan's attention, his head snapped around and the look he aimed in Finn's direction was black indeed, black like the pit of hell itself. His voice grated out angrily "I am NOT jealous."

Finn nodded agreeably "No of course not....and Hell is just a sauna."


	28. A View From the Balcony

It was an understatement to say that Logan was in a bad mood. Satan himself probably had cheerier days than Logan was having. Logan was fuming; whoever had hired that damn bartender for this little event was going to pay. Usually they didn't even bring in help for these events but for this one they had brought them, blindfolded of course, just for the party, they had been told that it was a costume party and knew nothing of the involvement of any group called the Life and Death Brigade. Now thanks to Rory's presence the bartender probably knew more than he was supposed to, not to mention the fact that he had interrupted what was shaping up to be one of the top 5 best kisses ever. Who knew that a girl like Rory Gilmore could kiss like that? He glared at his so-called friends

"If I find out you all had anything to do with his presence here tonight then I would worry about your own fortunes gentlemen. The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."

Finn observed him silently for a moment " I find your lack of faith disturbing. But you're maudlin and full of self-pity so I will forgive you."

Logan just gave an irritated huff and stalked away towards the bar intent on erasing the last minutes of hell from his mind. Damn sad eyed lap dog just always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but how could he compete with the sainted Marty, the loyal friend. At this rate he was never even going to get to the friend stage much less to second base. He detested bartenders he thought sourly. Maudlin indeed, more liek homicidal.

Rory was disappointed in herself. Why was it that kisses always seemed like such a traumatic events in her life...especially first kisse? First there was Dean and the shoplifting, Tristan and the crying, Jess and... well, Dean and now Logan and Marty and her own doubts seemed to be forming a nice little trio of things gone wrong, didn't they always say that trouble came in threes? Logan, her fingers unconsciously came to rest on her lips and her mind paused at him, wiped blank by the memory of that kiss that was still tingling on her lips, quivering in her chest like a butterfly just spreading it's wings to fly. She had enjoyed kissing before, Dean's had always seemed sweet and gentle, Jess' had seemed, well a little dangerous, like him, but this kiss, this was a transcendent kiss, for that one eternal second that they had been caught up in the maelstrom of sensation it had been like being consumed from the inside out by fire. She and Logan had always behaved sort of like two magnets, there was no doubt that they created a strong force between them but usually it was a force like two identical poles of the magnet pushing at each other, holding each other at arms length. Yet during that dance, and that kiss they had suddenly been flipped and now she felt the pull of the force, only this time it was that pull of attraction and its trajectory was straight into his arms. She sighed and put her head in her hands as she leaned on the railing of the balcony. She had a lot to think about. She hadn't been looking for it, in fact had gone out of her way not to see it but she could no longer deny there was something there between she and Logan. Maybe it was just chemistry, maybe it could be more, there was only one-way to know the answer to that. The problem was that path was far from simple for a myriad of reasons. She really needed to talk to her mom; this was just the sort of situation in which two Gilmore brains were clearly better than one very confused one.

Rory sighed when she heard the door open and close behind her and turned to face her visitor. She resolutely ignored the little thrill of disappointment when she saw it was Marty and not Logan. She silently berated herself for her disloyalty. Marty had never been anything but a good friend to her. It wasn't his fault that she was so mixed up that she couldn't seem to unravel the tangled web that her life had somehow become in the last weeks, days, hours even. She yearned to spill her mental wanderings at the feet of her friend but wouldn't know where to even begin to describe the turmoil and the discoveries of the past days. She looked up at Marty and could see that he had something to say so she gratefully ceded him the floor as he joined her at the railing.

His eyes bored into hers and for once he looked deadly serious as if what he had to say was a matter of life or death. "Why are you here Rory? I thought you hated these guys as much as I do."

She paused and regarded her fingers intently trying to find a rational explanation for her presence here, for her actions earlier; she went with the simplest explanation first.

"I came with the group to write a story." The excuse sounded implausible and weak even to her own ears, the dress, the dancing, the kiss, none of that was even remotely related to any story she was going to be writing in this lifetime unless it was her own tell all autobiography.

It was patently evident from Marty's look that he didn't buy it either. "Come on Rory give me some credit, I have eyes and I have a brain, that was no interview going on in there when I so rudely interrupted."

She flushed with embarrassment but Marty continued. "Its pretty obvious that Logan has a thing for you, I guess I just thought the Rory Gilmore I knew was smart enough to stay away from cocky rich assholes like him."

Rory's eyes went wide at this diatribe and she shoved aside her mental wanderings and stuck to the simple version, she wasn't ready to talk to anyone but her mom about the rest of it. Besides she definitely wasn't ready to think about what Logan thought of her. "Marty, it's not like that. There is no thing with Logan, you know how we argue and most of the time he is totally infuriating."

Marty snorted knowingly "Yeah, like the five year old that pulls the girls hair on the playground because he likes her."

Rory stuttered, damn him for being quicker to pick up on the situation than she was "No, no...I'm sure you are wrong, what you saw in there tonight was just a weird collusion of circumstances. Its just a game we play, nothing more."

He gave her a disappointed look that stung "Stop being so naive Rory. It's annoying. You were kissing him, this guy that you profess to hate. The way I see it there are really only two plausible explanations for what I saw in there tonight either you really are as oblivious as you seem and you are lying to yourself as much as to me about what is going on or you are a much better actress than I gave you credit for although I certainly hope the Rory Gilmore I know doesn't stoop to those kind of lows just to get a story."

This got her back up; she knew Marty was her friends but that last comment had definitely crossed the line into insult territory. "Look Marty I know you are my friend but that doesn't mean that you get to judge me or tell me how to live my life. I have plenty of other people to do that for me. Besides the fact that you dislike these guys on principle what is so wrong with them or with me getting to know them? You know they really aren't as bad as you paint them to be, maybe you would figure that out if you stopped being such a reverse snob and actually talked to a few of them. Why do you care so much anyway, if I get in over my head that's my problem not yours and contrary to popular belief I can take care of myself and I can chose my own friends."

Marty gave her a surprised looked and then opened his mouth to say something. As if he had thought better of it he clamped his jaw shut again. Rory watched this show perplexed. "What Marty? What ever you have to say, just say it."

Marty looked like he was weighing his options and finally he turned and leaned his hands on the balcony looking out over the grounds of the old estate. Rory suddenly felt a little nervous about what ever it was he was going to say, this build up seemed a little extreme. Marty's voice was low and no longer accusing but it still bore an unwelcome heaviness. "I know this world seems bright and glittering and glamorous but it isn't you Rory."

She started to retort, "I think I can decide for myself..."

He held up a hand to stop her tirade "I'm not finished, you are right, it isn't my place to tell you who you can be friends with or to try to protect you its just that I've seen these guys chew girls like you up and spit them out and it would kill me to see that happen to you. You don't belong here.

She shivered slightly recognizing some truth in his statement. "How do you know...that I don't belong here?" she heard the desperate uncertain tone in her own voice, like she wanted him to tell her the answer, to tell her where she belonged.

He looked at her thoughtfully "Because whatever identity crisis you are going through can't change the core of who you are, I should know after the chaos of my own life these last couple of months. This is Logan's world, it's a world of wealth and privilege, which you could qualify for thanks to your grandparent's but at the core of it you don't belong. You care too much about yourself, about other people, about people believing that you are a decent person. You are sweet and yes naive and slightly kooky and eccentric but you are your own person.... and you aren't one of them."

She felt slightly ashamed at the praise, knowing in her heart that she didn't deserve it. Suddenly she realized that despite the short tenure of their friendship Logan actually knew more of her secrets than Marty did. "You give me too much credit Marty. I'm not perfect."

Marty nodded in agreement "Not perfect by any means. Just human like the rest of us but that doesn't change the fact that the Rory Gilmore I call a friend is too good for this world, is to good for Logan Huntzberger or any other guy who isn't going to treat her like a princess."

That was something to ponder, unfortunately that comment had the opposite effect that Marty might have intended because it made Rory think of Dean. Dean had put her on a pedestal, he had treated her like a princess, he had loved her, even at the end and the fairy tale hadn't been all that it had been cracked up to be. Maybe in the end she would be happier with someone who challenged her and recognized her faults and kept her on her toes. She was going to have to sort that out later.

She turned to Marty with curious eyes "I appreciate the concern but why does it matter to you so much Marty?"

His eyes snapped back to the landscaping as he answered, "I care about you Rory..." he paused and risked a lightening quick glance at her face, which was frozen in expectation, waiting for the end of the sentence.

He saw his chance it was now or never. He leaned forward impulsively and his lips met hers in a brief kiss. Rory was stunned, it was like standing out in left field without a care in the world counting the daisies and having a ball drop from the sky and smack you on the head. Marty, sweet, funny, sarcastic, unassuming Marty, her friend Marty was kissing her. She had never really looked at him as anything other than a friend. She thought about it for a long moment, with his lips still on hers, which should have been enough of a clue that the kiss wasn't exactly knocking the wind out of her. With the scorching kiss with Logan still seared into her nerve endings it was hard to get excited about a kiss that felt a little like an amorous lip lock with a fish, an animal that clearly had no business being kissed. She pushed Marty gently away, breaking the connection of their lips. She bit her lip, trying to come up with a way to extricate her from the situation without undue damage to either of them or their friendship, which did mean a great deal to her. Man, what a mess.

As it turned out she didn't have to say much, her eyes spoke volumes for her as they displayed shock and an eminent apology. Marty backed away embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I..I shouldn't have done that."

Rory interrupted not wanting to travel that path with him. "

"No Marty, don't apologize. You are one of my closest friends; I don't want to lose you because of some stupid misunderstanding. I'm sorry, I guess this just caught me totally by surprise, I just never thought of you as more than a friend."

He stiffened slightly "And you do think of Logan as more than a friend?"

She paused and looked out into the dark night "I...." she wasn't sure what she actually thought about Logan other than that he was one hell of a kisser. "I guess I don't know."

It was obvious this hurt him but the last thing she wanted to do was make the situation worse by lying to him. He nodded very stiffly now "You're right, I overstepped my bounds I can't tell you what to do, I just want you to be happy, I don't want to see you get hurt. Just promise me you will be careful."

"I will." He turned to go but she stopped him "Marty, we are still friends right?"

He sighed like he was considering his options "Yeah, we are still friends. Just promise me you that you won't come crying to me if Huntzberger breaks you heart, I don't think I could handle that."

She nodded solemnly "Its a promise." She walked over and gave him a quick hug "Thanks Marty, for being such a good friend, I don't deserve you."

He pushed her gently away. "Just take care of yourself Gilmore." The door clicked shut behind him and she was left alone on the balcony again.

Logan was sulking there was no doubt about it. He hated the fact that Rory Gilmore, like no other girl before her could almost effortlessly tie him in knots with one look from those expressive eyes. While he was deep in thought contemplating the bottom of his empty whiskey glass Colin suddenly appeared at his side.

"Don't drink alone. People always find out, and it ruins the reputation."

"Thanks for the sage advice."

Colin laughed and looked out at the dance floor to where Stephanie was whirling and laughing with another guy, he waved to the bartender to bring them another round of whatever Logan was drinking. "I always give myself such very good advice, but I very seldom follow it."

Logan gave him a half smile "Well pull up a chair, misery loves company."

Finn watched as Marty exited the balcony, from the look on his face he wasn't too happy with how things had gone with the fair maiden. Maybe there was hope for their champion after all. He ambled over to where Colin and Logan sat and took one look at his two pathetically unhappy friends and sighed in exasperation. These two were about to be crying in their drinks if he didn't step and throw them out of the nice hole they had dug for themselves. Someone always had to do the dirty work.

He narrowed his eyes and put his hand son his hips. He aimed his first remark at Logan "Are you gonna do something, or are you just gonna stand there and bleed?"

"What would you suggest since you are suddenly the resident expert on matters of the heart?"

"You can never loose while you're fighting. You only loose when you stop."

"I already tried, what if I'm all fought out?"

"Do or do not, there is no try." Finn said in a pointed tone.

Logan contemplated the slow swirl of whiskey in his glass for a long moment pondering the truth of Finn's words; sometimes the wisest things came from the mouths of fools. He had tried but maybe he hadn't put his heart and soul into it. He had been playing the game, letting Rory call most of the shots; maybe it was time for a change in strategy. He was Logan Huntzberger, he never gave in without a fight. He liked the girl, he wanted the girl and by god he was going to go get the girl. Now all he had to do was plan an offensive. Rory wasn't exactly the type to appreciate the old me Tarzan, you Jane routine, he was going to need something a little smarter to outwit her. Finally he raised his head and acknowledged Finn with a toast of his glass. "Alright my friend to bastardize the words of the late Captain Hook - love is the last great adventure I have left to live."

Finn smiled in triumph and raised his own glass "Shall we drink to a blitzkrieg? "

Logan smiled with his glass raised to his lips and swallowed slowly his mind working overtime on solving this new problem. Finally he nodded as if decided and rose from his seat. He gave his friends a last look this time with the old confidence back in full force "I prefer a slow encirclement. " he said with a smile as he headed for the balcony doors with a confrontational swagger to his step, like John Wayne counting off the steps to a shoot out. He was going to put all the cards on the table and this time he wasn't letting her run until he got some answers.

Finn watched him go with a raised eyebrow and then remarked in a thoughtful tone to no one in particular. "The trouble with real life is that there is no danger music."

Rory felt numb, Numb with exhaustion mental and emotional, paralyzed with confusion from the dizzying onslaught of emotion and the overdose on sensation. Unfortunately she was not numb to the cold of the November night. She shivered as she felt the cold seeping through the thin fabric of the dress and inching its way up her exposed spine. She hugged herself for warmth. She was about to give up the battle and face the enemy in his lair when she heard the soft snick of the door opening again. This time she somehow knew without looking who it was.

He paused for a long moment and watched her at the railing, he could only see her in profile but something in her face was so wistful, so defeated that he almost lost his will for battle, he shifted his weight back to exit the balcony thinking that this wasn't the best time for a confrontation but her voice stopped him. "Don't leave on my account."

She turned slightly as he joined her at the railing he was careful to leave a safe distance between not sure from her neutral tone what her current state of mind was.

Seeing her shiver he almost automatically shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and held it out to her " Much as it goes against the grain to suggest you cover up that dress, I'd really hate to have you get hypothermia out of spite for me."

She eyed the tempting offering and fought the petty urge to refuse him. A breeze that brought Goosebumps to her chilled flesh had her opting for the practical routes. She held out her hand for the coat but he gestured for her to turn and gently eased the jacket over her arms.

"Thank you." She said a bit hesitantly.

He gave her a friendly smile; all traces of earlier animosity wiped clean from his face. "My pleasure." He paused "You look good in my clothes."

The chivalrous gesture made her wary and she suddenly felt a little nervous at his presence. The look in his eyes was different, like he had made a decision and he was at peace with himself. It unsettled her. She wrapped the jacket around herself and felt the luxuriant softness of the still warm fabric soothe her shivering body. It smelled good, a combination of scents that she couldn't quite place but somehow had imprinted in her brain as Logan's signature smell. Funny what the reptilian brain chose to store in its archives.

There was silence, not unheard of but unusual between them. They usually avoided it. Maybe because more was actually said in that silence than in many a witty repartee. She gazed down at the dark meadow below them and suddenly noticed moving lanterns and men that hadn't been there a few moments ago. She latched on to it as a new topic of conversation as she pointed down at the bobbing lanterns.

"What are they doing? Setting up for a night under the big top or that famous underwear dancing ritual?"

He looked down at the men that were now erecting a white-tented pavilion and laughed at her astute remarks. His voice was matter of fact "They are setting up for a chess game."

Her brow wrinkled with confusion. "A chess game?" Then she thought about all the chess players that had accompanied them back on the plane. "You mean they really are going to play a chess tournament?"

"Not exactly" he chuckled at her look knowing she was trying to fit the pieces together "They are the chess tournament."

"Huh?"

"Just hold your horses Ace, you will get to see it first hand in a little while."

She seemed about to say something else but he cut her off, determined not to let her lead their conversation off on some merry goose chase, he had noticed that she often resorted to verbal evasion when confronted with an uncomfortable situation, she had a talent for it that he guessed more often than not managed to deflect unpleasantness and confrontation. This time it wasn't going to work. "Do you want to start or shall I?"

She looked at him all innocence and wide eyed confusion "Start what?"

He sighed a long-suffering sigh and appeared to be praying for patience. He leaned his elbows on the railing, inching almost imperceptibly closer to her although her body noticed and her internal fires kicked up a notch in response. "Fine, if you want to play it that way, I will start." He looked out over the meadow as he spoke "Why did you run?"

She stiffened slightly, clearly she hadn't been expecting that blunt of a question. She chose to parry with a question of her own "Why were you so horrible to Marty?"

He swallowed, no pulling punches then. He knew this question for a question could go on for a while if he didn't swallow the bitter pill of pride and take the first leap "I was hurt...and jealous."

Rory was silent for a long moment and her voice came as close to meek as he had ever heard "Why were you jealous?"

Her voice suggested that she knew the answer to the question but she was stalling, he wondered for a moment what she and Marty had talked about out here. He began forming a plan, a way to work around to the true reason he had come out here to talk to her. Misdirection was the key to a good ambush so he would start with a little detour. He turned and leaned his elbows back against the railing looking back into the elegantly ostentatious ballroom full of swirling color and music and laughter that could be heard faintly through glass doors. "I'll get to that in a minute, first tell me what you think of our little shindig."

She turned and mirrored his stance as she gazed into the room. Marty's words came tumbling back into her brain and she knew that on that point he was right. This wasn't her world. She searched for the words "Its beautiful, its a glittering glamorous, exotic spectacle like no other I have seen. It's kind of like going to the circus, you get carried away in the magic and the daring, the tight rope walkers and the woman juggling flaming batons, you ooh and ahh at the trapeze artists as they fly so high above the rest of us humans and then there is the magician who draws you into that world of illusion so deeply that you almost believe that its real, you almost believe that you belong." She paused and now her voice was far away traveling some deep path of her own "But in the end when the crowds have gone home to their regular lives and the spotlights are all off that's really all it is...a grand illusion."

"Yes I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion." He said in a thoughtful voice, he could see by the earnest expression in her eyes that she believed what she was saying.

"Your analogy maybe true in some respects but you don't really know us, you don't know me. You've taken a few moments of out of the ordinary and extrapolated that to a picture of us that is far from complete. Despite what you think of me I am not all parties and girls and highflying stunts. I am a real person, just like you, I'm no illusion. Maybe it is just easier for you to see me that way because you can keep me at arms length if you draw a picture of me that fits your ideas of what I should be."

She looked slightly surprised at his sneak attack "Are you saying that I am stereotyping you or some such nonsense?"

"More drawing me the way that you want me to be, as long as you consider me to be some rich, cocky playboy you can dismiss me and you don't have to look too closely at what is really between us. "

Now she was getting a little ticked off at his insinuation that he knew her emotions better than she did. She crossed her arms stubbornly in front of her. "Fine, if you are so much more self aware then I am then you tell me, what is between us?"

Ah, he had her right where he wanted her, it was time for the big unveiling, the ace up his sleeve so to speak. He took a deep breath and prepared to do something that he had only ever done with one girl and he preferred not to recall that instance because that path only led to doubt. He was resolved on his course. "I was jealous of Marty because he has what I want. You."

She opened her mouth to protest thinking that perhaps he was too observant for his own good. His hand stopped her.

"I know you aren't in a romantic relationship with him but that doesn't change my jealousy of your friendship with him. He gets what I have to struggle for without even a second thought. You kiss me like there is no tomorrow and then he shows up and you look at me like I am suddenly a leper...that's a little bruising for a man's ego."

She looked disgusted "So this is all about your ego?"

He wanted to shake her "Sometimes for a smart girl you are so incredibly dense." The next words came out with crisp precision driven by irritation and a soupcon of fear "This isn't about ego, this is about the fact that I like you." He stopped her again before she could interrupt "let me finish. I can't explain how this happened or why. You are not blonde or a supermodel, your IQ is above the double digits, you have no respect for my money or status, you argue about everything, you have a dreadful need to always have a retort even to my wittiest remarks, you have an unhealthy addiction to caffeine and junk food, you are quite obviously a workaholic, something I avoid with nearly religious fervor, you have a strange fetish for books, an odd penchant for quoting historical facts about Universities and an annoying need to use obscure cultural references, add in that total cluelessness about your own appeal which drives me absolutely batty and you pretty much don't have anything like the normal resume I look for in a girl. Yet despite this preponderance of evidence to the contrary, it appears that through some unexplained combination of temporary insanity and masochistic tendencies my heart has decided in direct opposition to the orders of my brain that you ARE my type after all."

She looked at him with eyes like Frisbees and an expression that would have been appropriate had he announced that actually was Elvis reincarnated in the body of a twenty one year old WASP and had belted out a rousing rendition of "You Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog." God, she was so exasperating.

She didn't know what to say, thought perhaps her entire store of vocabulary had just been wiped clean by the tornado of his declaration. She knew there was some chemistry between them but she had not been prepared for a declaration of the When Harry Met Sally variety. Her brain spun in neutral but failed to engage. She spit out the first words in her mouth. "Inconceivable."

He couldn't do anything but laugh at that, sometimes her denial truly bordered on the ridiculous. "It's your choice whether or not to believe me but in this I do not lie."

The silence stretched between them as she searched his eyes for a long moment. Then she turned back to the railing breaking the persuasion of the gaze. She didn't know what to do, what to say, she didn't know what she wanted or where to even start. She wanted to run. Her mind stopped as if someone had just clapped a hand over the spinning top and brought it to a dead stand still. Damn him to the eternal fires of hell but he was right about the kiss earlier. She had run, she always ran.

He was still watching her and this time she spoke almost stream of consciousness, more to herself than to him. "I always run, its like a genetic predisposition, I guess I learned it at the feet of the masters, my mom ran when she had me, my dad ran away from me and I have followed in their footsteps. I run when things go well, I run when things go badly, I run when things get confusing, no matter what happens it seems like I never stop running. I don't even know what I am running from anymore or why, or where I am running to..." She trailed off into heavy silence.

His voice was soft as he broke into her thoughts "Then choose not to run."

She looked at him slowly and her eyes were filled with indecision and doubt. "What do you mean?"

He gestured to the space between them "I don't know what this is between us, but there is something, maybe it won't last past the first five minutes of anything real" he patently did not believe that after their explosive kiss earlier 'But you will never know either way if you don't stand still long enough to find out."

She hated that he had a point. She hated him for not fitting her nice little one-dimensional picture of him. She thought about her options. She turned contemplative eyes back on the room that swirled with color and movement. She watched the laughing faces and drunken antics of the people she had come to know and call friends in last two days. Only they weren't really her friends, they were Logan's friends. This was Logan's world and she suddenly felt very out of her element amidst all the glamour and adventure seekers. She looked at Logan out of the corner of her eye "You know its not really that simple, you and I are practically different species."

"Well if that case then I want to be a shrub. Something prickly and hard to eradicate. Though I have to disagree, we aren't as different as you think we are. It has given me a few not so comfortable moments of imbalance to see just how easily you do fit into this world."

"This is you world Logan, not mine."

Logan watched the whirl of dancers and hesitated at his next comment. When it came out it was soft "It can be yours too if you want it to be."

She faced him fully for a second and then she turned back to face out into the night. "For you this is everyday life. For me this world is not so much a place to live but more a Caribbean vacation spot. Somewhere you go to lounge on the beach and read a few good books for a week or two before you go back to real life. Its fun for a while but I'm not of much of a beach bunny, it gets old.'

Logan knew they weren't really talking about the beach but he continued the metaphor. "Come on Ace, give it a chance, what's not to like? Sun, sand, margaritas and a chance to work on your tan."

"I sunburn." It was a matter of fact statement and a rejection neatly rolled into three syllables. It stung.

Logan knew better than most that there were plenty of willing fish in the sea, his sea in particular and he almost tossed in the towel right then and there. She didn't want his world...she didn't want him, she had made that clear. So why did his heart continue to battle his mind for control of his decisions. Why did he continue to hope or to pursue when she never showed even a crack in her defenses? He remained lost in thought until he felt her gaze on him again and that hopeful part of him spoke before his pride could stop it. "Isn't that the point of being young? Trying new worlds on for size, having new adventures, taking risks and finding yourself."

She heard the frustrated note in his voice. ""You are absolutely right. The point is to find yourself, to figure out who you really are and who you want to be. I guess for me a part of that is realizing what I don't want to be. I've made a lot of mistakes in the last couple of years.... I guess that's part of what led me here. What made me accept your invitation? It wasn't just about a story, much as I wanted to tell myself it was, it was about trying it on for size. Seeing the other side of the looking glass and experiencing for myself the life that my mother chose to run from."

"I am not asking you to change your name or run away with the circus, I'm not even asking you to be a part of this world. Contrary to your belief this is not all that defines me. I am asking you to take a chance on me. What are you afraid of Rory?"

"It's complicated. "

He held up a hand "It's not complicated, I think you are just scared that you might find something that you can't run from. I won't waste any more breath arguing with you. You seem like the type to make pro and con lists so I will leave you with my final argument."

She saw him close the space between them in one step but her body was frozen, unable to move, unable to look away from those hypnotic melted chocolate eyes. Then his hand grasped the back of her neck and pulled her towards him. She was pinned between his body and the railing of the balcony and she was almost glad because she was sure that her suddenly boneless body wouldn't hold her weight. Rory felt herself flying, was sure in fact that her feet were a good foot of the ground, like Mary Poppins and the tea party on the ceiling. Logan could feel the moment when the shock wore off and she started to kiss him back. The kiss quickly escalated until he knew he was in dangerous territory. What had started as a little object lesson was quickly becoming a chemistry experiment out of control.

He pulled back and they both stood breathing hard, there was a frozen moment as they stared at each other, their worlds still rocking from the force of the kiss, the chemistry that seemed to practically connect them with an invisible current. Logan was shaken and took a step back from Rory in an attempt to regain his composure as he raked a shaky hand through his hair. It never ceased to amaze him that someone like Rory Gilmore could take his breath away so completely with a simple kiss. Of course with Rory nothing was ever just simple.

He regained a bit of his equilibrium when he noticed her death grip on the railing behind her, at least he wasn't the only one who was affected. He struggled for a smirk.

She blinked dazed eyes at him in a vain attempt to regain her balance. She had a lot to think about but she gave up trying to sort it out right now. Finally she managed to stand on her own legs and she gave him a disbelieving look. "Was that a pro or a con?"

That put them back on solid footing. The smirk turned up a notch "I'll let you decide."

He put his hands in his pockets and turned towards the doors to the balcony satisfied that he had accomplished his mission. He gave her a last glance and only hoped that he hadn't pushed her too hard or too fast, he didn't want to scare her away completely. He kind of wanted her to stick around; things were just starting to get interesting. "Cheer up Ace, the book isn't ending, you are just starting a new chapter. You figure out what happens next and then let me know. Know I have a chess game to attend."

"Time" she whispered, "I just need some time."

He gave her a little mysterious smile "As you wish."


	29. The Day of Reckoning

The Day of Reckoning

Logan stood on the other side of the doors to the balcony with his back leaning against them and closed his eyes. The price of a kiss indeed...it seemed Finn was practicing his skills as a seer again and he had been right on the money with that comment. He had never thought much about the risks he took, but now he suddenly understood that those chances, financial risks, physical risks, they were nothing compared to the risking one's own heart. Physical scars were a lot easier to heal from than a killing blow to the heart, Rory was the first girl he had met since Rebecca that he had even considered baring his heart too and now on impulse fueled by a bit of jealousy and insecurity and a healthy dose of desire he had take the leap. Scariest part was he couldn't take it back even if he wanted to. He dropped his head back against the door and drew in a deep cleansing breath before his thoughts were interrupted by Stephanie bouncing over to his side, seemingly unaware of his current angst. Since usually Stephanie was the biggest rumor monger amongst them he had to assume that the committee had voted that the interrogation would be held later, either that or Seth had the balcony miked.

"Your presence is requested on the field of battle. " she said with a hand on his arm.

He nodded, back to business as usual, at least for the moment. "Round up the usual suspects and I will meet you there."

"As you wish...." the words echoed in Rory's mind long after the doors had closed and she was alone. She stood staring down at the meadow below the balcony for a long time. Her brain may have catalogued the movements and sounds carrying on below as the tent was erected and the members of the LDB congregated but her eyes saw nothing but the instant replay of the last minutes with Logan, his outrageous declaration and that kiss.... she shivered and hugged herself tighter not really registering the fact that she was still wearing Logan's jacket.

It was only when a series of deep drum beats rang from below that her attention was drawn to what was happening on the field before her. With a little shake of the head she struggled to clear her mind and focus on the last remaining details of the night. She heard the balcony doors open and she turned to see Finn outlined in silhouette, backlit by the lights from the ballroom. His eyes held a sentient look as he took in the sight of her wrapped in Logan's jacket and his smile held a wisdom belied by his normal carefree attitude. She looked at him with new eyes "You knew what you were doing when you started out on this adventure didn't you?"

He fluttered his eyelashes at her in a parody of innocence, "My dear whatever makes you say that?"

"Logan may seem like the wizard but you are no doubt the man behind the curtain. I just have one question, why?"

He shrugged as if to say that all manner of things somehow happened without his complicit knowledge of their inner workings "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

She sighed, she could see that she was not going to extract a straight answer from Finn in the foreseeable future. "This is just a big game to you isn't it?"

"If so it's a strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?"

She took Finn's arm with a look of defeat. "I surrender, how is it that you have so much time to sit around and soak up useless trivia and know more random movie quotes than my mom, who considers herself a world champion?"

Finn gave her a good-natured smile "I'm a philosophy major."

"Ah" her voice held a note of insight "that explains a great many things about you my friend."

He winked at her "I'll take that as a compliment."

When they reached the field below a mist had settled around the tented pavilion and only the burning lanterns seemed to cast an otherworldly light on the stage set before them. Finn pulled two black silk carnival masks out of the pocket of his jacket and handed one to her. When she looked at him curiously he leaned over just as the trumpeters started to play "To hide your identity from the outsiders."

She slipped the stiff mask over her face and stepped to the edge of the circle of LDB members that had formed around the floor of the pavilion that she could now see was a gigantic replica of a chessboard. The doors to the house opened and a procession of players was led out with great fanfare to the tent. Before they reached the entrance they split into two groups and Rory could see as they drew nearer that all the chess players had been dressed to play the parts, there were knights and bishops, pawns, and even a queen and king. At the back of each of the processions was a member of the LDB, one was Logan and the other was an unknown boy that Rory vaguely recognized but had not met personally.

It was all sort of Alice in Wonderland meets Harry Potter on a grand scale. After everything that had occurred in the past 48 hours Rory found this nothing out of the ordinary although she did note that Logan was a surprisingly good chess player, she wondered idly if there was anything he couldn't do well if he put his mind to it. His head for strategy certainly was something to be wary of in the future. She enjoyed the game but had never had that gift of being able to look ten moves into the distant future to predict exactly where your opponent would go. Her mind skipped like a stone on a mirror still pond over the moments that she had shared with Logan over the past weeks. In each one they had played their parts, she moved and he countered but she couldn't help but wonder if he had seen the steps before she made them, if he had predicted her anger, her fear, her realizations better than she had. She had no way of knowing that he, the ultimate master of strategy, the king of calculated victory had found himself in check within a handful of moves and forfeited the original game in record time. This was a whole new board and checkmate this time would be hard won.

It seemed a tallying of points had taken place behind closed doors with some contention about the points awarded for certain tasks and since both teams were quite successful in their pursuits of glory it all came down to a, not so simple game of chess. The game was as fantastical as any medieval play with swords clashing and war cries ringing in the tent. After a few uncertain moves the players seemed to get into the spirit of the thing and actually played with a great deal of relish for the reality of the battle. Rory figured this was probably as much fun as some of them would ever experience in college and they would be telling this story to their grandchildren some day ages and ages hence. Logan played a masterful game and in the end he outwitted his opponent in a last stunning gambit for checkmate. It was nearing dawn when the final battle was played out and the winner was announced with great pomp and circumstance to be Logan's team. Rory had never been so thankful when the team with some wickedness announced the punishment the losing team would face. Streaking naked through the library at high noon was not something she wished to have as part of her sordid past.

The party was winding to an end and before she knew it Rory was piled back in the ever-present SUV and on her way back to the civilized world. Strangely Logan seemed to be keeping to his word and on the ride back she found herself seated between Colin and Stephanie with Logan in the driver's seat. It all seemed a somewhat anticlimactic end to the strangest weekend of her life but she wasn't necessarily unhappy with a return to some semblance of everyday reality.

Rory was tired clear to her bones by the time she found herself outside her dorm room. The yearning for adventure had been effectively purged from her bloodstream and she thought that if she didn't do anything daring for the rest of her natural life that would be just fine with her. She felt as if she had spent the last 48 hours unplugged from the Matrix, slipping through some rabbit hole in the space-time continuum and existing for that brief blink in time in a completely parallel universe. At this moment she wanted nothing more than to kiss her door, the symbolic gateway to normal. In fact she did unintentionally manage a rather classy face plant onto its wooden veneer less from any misguided and irrational attachment to inanimate objects than from sheer exhaustion as she dug blindly for her keys.

The door swung open and she took a deep breath as if to inhale the very essence of normality.... it smelled a little like coffee and books. She yearned for boredom, dreamt of tedium; the mundane beckoned like a long lost friend. She staggered towards her room dropping her bag along the way following the siren song of her welcoming bed. The figure behind the newspaper on the couch didn't so much as twitch in recognition, Paris could often be quite engrossed when perusing the morning headlines so this was no surprise, one of the main reasons they had managed to cohabitate without resorting to homicide was the unwritten rule that no conversation be attempted before 8 am and never without the copious consumption of caffeine as a prerequisite.

"There's no place like home." She mumbled to herself as she headed for her own room and blessed oblivion.

"Did you just quote the Wizard of Oz?" The voice was distinctly male and unless her mind was playing tricks on her it was all too familiar. She was a foot from her door when the paper dropped halfway and revealed the face of its reader. She froze in place a blinked several times in rapid succession praying for delirium, hallucination, anything that would explain away the visage that kept reappearing on her couch. Her mouth dropped open in an attempted shriek that came out a mere garbled squeak instead, smothered by the sheer weight of horror as she tried to wrap her enfeebled brain around the totally absurd notion that the figure on her couch was indeed none other than her esteemed editor, Doyle.

She tried for speech again but was thwarted a second time when he dropped the paper further and revealed the fact that he was wearing one of Paris' robes that was disturbing enough when Paris herself wore it and was launched straight to the realm of fodder for nightmares when you were forced, on too little sleep and with no warning to see it modeled by your male editor. Her squawk sounded a little like Parrrgh this time and got Paris' attention from where she was standing in the kitchen wearing...horror of horrors, Doyle's shirt.

She turned with an inquisitive look and no cutting remark which for Paris was the equivalent of a jaunty hello and Rory began to wonder if she was truly hallucinating after all, either that or....Paris was having sex, oh, ick, gross, damn her brain for going there, she was definitely going to have to bleach her subconscious to remove that stain.

"Hey Gilmore, how was the story gathering outing?" This was said as if absolutely nothing was out of ordinary in their usually neat and ordered universe.

Rory looked wildly at the figure on the couch again. Doyle raised an eyebrow in his infamous editor's inquisitive look which was just sooooo entirely out of place for a shorty robe that she could not make the two elements mesh in her brain and quickly stopped trying. "Story? "

Paris nodded sagely "Yeah our little Mary Tyler Moore here just spent about 48 hours in the company of one Logan Huntzberger et al, if there isn't a story worth reading out of that then our girl here should probably just retire now and take up knitting or something that is a more constructive use of time."

Doyle looked excited "Great, have a draft on my desk by Wednesday and I will give you my thoughts. Good work Gilmore." He set the paper aside and climbed to his feet crossing to where Paris held out a mug of coffee for him.

"You want coffee Gilmore?" Paris asked in a neutral voice that would have counted as any other girl's version of Martha Stewart on uppers kind of voice and made Rory want to escape into a coma right then and there. It was probably the only time in her life when turning down coffee was the lesser of two evils. Rory clapped one hand over her eyes figuring her sautéed brain didn't need much more of this type of fuel to reach the combustion point.

She waved in their general direction and mumbled something about catching up later. Sure, right, like later after hell froze over or after she considered going the way of Sylvia Plath just to avoid discussion of their current dishabille and the preamble to said condition. She hadn't thought it could get much worse than Asher Fleming but leave it to Paris, the eternal overachiever to top that by sleeping with a guy that Rory had to work with, smile at, and generally kow tow to since he was her superior. It definitely added an exponentially higher level of difficulty to a good suck up when you were picturing your superior wearing your roommates blue flowered shorty robe. She was going to need major psychotherapy after this little interlude. She shuddered as she closed her bedroom door securely and leaned up against it in silent relief.

The sound of Doyle giggling as he squabbled with Paris over the opinion page sent her running for cover. Just another day in the lives of your average neurotic antisocial nutcases of the world. Buried beneath a pile of pillows with her headphones on and the stereo cranked she finally considered the state of current affairs. Rory rolled her eyes towards heaven but was quite sure that there was no divine intervention coming form that quarter. She had pretty much used up her quota. Apparently while she was away on a short jaunt into bizarro land normal had packed up and moved and left no forwarding address.

Her first class wasn't until 10 o'clock, thank god for small favors, so she did manage a few hours of sleep before drenching herself in the coldest water she could stand and putting on the first piece of clothing her hand hit in the closet which turned out to be a rather fetching little blue sweater and jeans, lucky for her because in this state she could have walked out the door in stripes, polka dots and a purple feather boa and not known the difference. She worried her lip as she stood at the entrance to the courtyard trying to decide the best game plan for the day. Paris and (shudder) Doyle were absent from the apartment when she woke which was just as well because another encounter of the close up with Doyle's legs kind probably would have pushed her right off the ledge. That meant she had to avoid both her normal coffee stand and the newspaper office as both held potential interaction with a number of people that she would really rather not see until she had a little sleep , about a tanker full of coffee and some time, like say a year or two, to figure out how the hell to extricate herself from the current snarl of threads that her life had become. If only she could just find the end of one of those threads and pull it out of the mess then she might be able to find some semblance of order in the pattern of the weaving. Only, she didn't know which thread to pull without unraveling the entire thing.

She managed to make it through her classes without any unfortunate run ins and was just breathing a sigh of relief as she trudged back to her room debating whether to make an appearance at the newsroom when suddenly she remembered the conversation with her mom from what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had promised to meet her tonight in Stars Hollow. She had better double check and make sure they were still on for seven. She pulled out her cell phone recalling as well that she hadn't checked her messages since yesterday evening. She pushed the voicemail button as walked into the courtyard of Branford.

She was listening to the greeting...8 messages... "Hey Ace, you're a difficult woman to find." Logan's voice stopped her dead in her tracks halfway across her courtyard and she cursed her total ineptness at subterfuge. She would suck as a spy. She took a calming breath and turned towards his voice he was leaning against one side of a portico directly across from the entrance to Branford and looked like he might have been sculpted there, portrait of a collegiate Don Juan. His grin was welcoming but he didn't move when he saw her. She might have hesitated unsure whether she was ready to face his particular brand of temptation had she not spied the two rather large cups of coffee he was holding. Points to him for knowing the quickest way to short circuit any resistance on her part.

She half listened to a message from Lane about some new drama with Zach and Brian that involved use of the TV remote as she crossed the courtyard to stand in front of Logan. She pointed to one of the coffees and then to herself "For me?" she mouthed. He nodded and held one out to her "I come bearing gifts." He said with a widening grin. He unfurled himself from his patient position and handed it to her with a little bow. She grabbed it with greedy hands as she held the phone between her ear and her shoulder. She was about to hang up the phone when it told her the next message was from her mother. She figured she had better listen to it in case there had been a change of plans for tonight . She smiled gratefully at Logan and then took a huge gulp of the blessedly hot liquid. It wasn't as good as Luke's coffee but it would do in a pinch. She swallowed and took another large gulp.

Her mom's voice came on the other end of the line and it sounded like she was trying to hold back laughter "One word...pom poms, or is that two words, I'll let you be the judge." Click.

It was like a sucker punch straight to the gut and in her horror and shock she choked on the hot coffee and spat it out in a vain attempt to draw a breath in. The phone dropped to the ground and she stared at it for a long moment silently wishing away the words that it had just played back at her....instrument f the devil that it was. Logan was stunned not only by the action that now had hot coffee dripping off the front of his sweater but at the glassy eyed shock in her eyes that implied that she hadn't even done it on purpose. She had one hand on her coffee cup and her mouth, now empty of coffee dropped open in horror as she regarded the phone on the ground like it might be a live rattlesnake about to bite her. He wasn't sure if she was horrified at the coffee she had spit at him or at whatever the mysterious being on the other end of the phone had said.

Logan looked down at the coffee dripping from his sweater again and cracked a smile in her direction "I'm really hoping that your little impression of a coffee fountain has more to do with whoever was just talking on your phone and is not a reflection of your opinion of me."

Rory gaped at him for a second as four distinctly different emotions course through her, shock at Lorelai's knowledge of the cheerleading stunt, embarrassment at spitting coffee all over Logan, attraction to the quirky little smile of his and sheer hysteria at the Jim Carrey monologue that her life had become. She went with the last one and a little delirious laugh bubbled up and led to another, soon she was clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably. Strangely she had expected their first encounter after last night to be awkward and stilted, she would have to thank her mom for breaking the ice on that one. The look of surprise on Logan's face only made her laugh harder until there were tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. Somewhere along the line he joined her as he saluted her with the other coffee cup. When they finally subsided she wiped the errant moisture from her eyes and regarded him half solemnly, still chuckling a little over their silliness.

She straightened "Come on Huntzberger, wouldn't want you to catch anything standing out here in the cold, I think I have a towel in my suite."

He looked a little surprised at the invitation but she figured it was the least she could do after spitting coffee all over him. Although really the way she figured it the situation was in some twisted way his fault and perhaps the coffee baptism was an ironically fitting punishment for his part in the corruption of Rory Gilmore. She opened the door to the suite and swept a hand in the direction of the sofa as he entered behind her. "Have a seat and I will find you a towel." She paused and pointed to the closest end of the couch "I would avoid that spot if I were you, I think it may have Doyle cooties."

His eyebrows shot up "Doyle, as in Doyle the Daily News taskmaster?"

She nodded as she headed for her room in search of towels "It's a long story which I do not care to relive, besides I'm trying to spare your delicate sensibilities, this is one story you are better off not knowing."

He sat gingerly and began to peel off the wet sweater, the shirt underneath was had a big wet spot on the front as well so it quickly followed the sweater onto the floor. He took a moment to survey the suite a little surprised that he had been so easily invited in to her sanctuary. This day was not shaping up the way he had envisioned it. He had expected a little more caginess and bush circling before he was allowed in these hallowed walls. Of course, he was only here now because of some strange phone message which had clearly knocked her off balance. He called out to where she had vanished to in her room "So are you going to tell me what prompted your projectile coffee art? Message from the ex?" he guessed aloud.

"Worse." Her voice was muffled as if it was buried in some kind of fabric. He rose from the couch and walked towards her room leaning in the doorway to continue the conversation. He found her with her head in her closet apparently looking for something.

"Worse than an ex? Now the curiosity is killing me." She threw a towel on the bed but still hadn't spotted him standing in the doorway, she continued to yell as if he was still in the other room as she turned towards the shirts in the closet. "it was my mom....suffice it to say she knows about the pom poms. I should have known it was only a matter of time before she heard about it, keeping this kind of thing a secret in Stars Hollow is virtually impossible. "

He threw back his head and hooted in laughter. "Perfect, that's perfect."

Her voice was disgruntled to say the least. "Yeah, you find it funny, that's because you won't have to live the next twenty years of your life hearing fake cheers and being the subject of inane debates between Kirk and Taylor about whether wearing a cheerleading outfit has in some way violated some antiquated town code. If my mom knows that pretty much guarantees that Babette knows and Miss Patty knows and if Miss Patty knows then everyone within a 50-mile radius knows. It would take a miracle or Miss Patty getting married again to displace this one from the top ten stories in Stars Hollow history."

"You make this town of yours sound a little blood thirsty...I thought you liked it?"

She nodded still with her back to him "Oh, I love it, but its a small town, they live for gossip and they NEVER forget anything. I just don't like being the grist for the mill, its much more fun as an observer. Do you know that when my mom and Luke started dating they actually had a town meeting vote about whether they could stay together and Luke had to promise that he would leave town if they ever broke up."

She turned towards the chair by the window and continued "Oh, I almost forgot, I still have your tuxedo jacket from last night." She grabbed it and spun back towards the door stopping dead in her tracks when she saw him, half naked lounging in her doorway. Her mouth went completely dry as her eyes took on a will of their own and traced the lines of his chest up from his waistband to his face. Why did he have to be such a specimen of male beauty. His wit, his now evident brains AND a body like that...it just wasn't fair play. Her mouth opened and closed several times but no sound came out. She had traveled for the last 48 hours in his company, broken more rules that she could count, lived on the edge of danger, slept in the same bed, spilled her darkest secrets, danced, argued, even kissed him, it had been one big roller coaster ride of anger, fear, dawning attraction and exploration. But somehow it was this moment, him standing in her bedroom doorway half naked that brought it home to her at last. She was somehow, despite her best intentions, involved with Logan Huntzberger in some as yet unnamed and undefined relationship.

How had she gone in the space of a mere 48 hours from detesting the very sight of him to drooling over his half naked torso? She couldn't trace the steps even if she wanted to they were so convoluted and yet somehow it made sense in aggregate. She didn't want to be one of those girls, the ones that a few arrogantly charming lines and flirtatious smile could cause to swoon at the feet of the charming rake. But she wasn't, her mind screamed, she wasn't one of those girls because he wasn't one of those guys.

He watched her gape and struggle for composure for a long moment, wanting more than anything to cross the distance between them and kiss that shock right off her tempting lips. The desire to do just that had been cropping up at the most inopportune times since last night. But he resisted temptation, this move had to be hers. If he took the step it would leave them right where they were without any progress. She took a hesitant step towards him still holding his jacket, another tiny step and she held it out to him. He took it, eyes still locked with hers but careful not to touch her. He slowly shrugged it on. He looked charmingly ridiculous with his designer jeans and a tuxedo jacket with no shirt, maybe it was the ridiculous that made him suddenly seem human, the slight insecurity in his eyes that made her itch to run her hand over that flesh that remained exposed. She narrowed the distance and with a little breath she was an inch from his face. "Is this what you call giving me time?" she breathed, barely above a whisper.

He gave her a little half smile, too intent on her face so close to his to turn on the full wattage "I'm just the bearer of coffee, you were the one who spit coffee on me so that I would have to disrobe." He raised an eyebrow "maybe its your subconscious talking.'

"No I think it was my mom."

He wiggled an eyebrow, lightening the heavy awareness slightly "Kinky but hey to each his own.'

It was the playful smile that got her, that was what was different about him, he understood her, understood that humor was the panacea for all things, it wasn't all angst and strife or rainbows and roses, it was life, you made fun of yourself when things went wrong, you made an idiot of yourself but you went on. Suddenly she knew that she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't give this thing, whatever it was between them, a chance.

"You know Huntzberger" She leaned forward and the last of the space separating them disappeared. "I am beginning to believe those rumors about your charm aren't all just exaggeration after all." The possibilities shimmered in the space between them like a mirage.

The slamming of the door cracked the moment to pieces. Paris took one look at the strangely dress Logan and Rory with a rosy blush creeping up her cheeks and gave a disgusted huff "You have the gall to be disgusted about MY sex life?" she turned on her heel and flounced into her room slamming the door behind her.

"What was all that about?" Logan asked with a wrinkled brow.

Rory rolled her eyes "Ignorance is bliss trust me on this one."

He smiled and stroked a finger down her flushed cheek and then stepped back "Maybe we should continue this, uh, conversation later."

He unfurled himself slowly from his stance like the graceful stretch of a cat. He regarded her silently as he dug in the back pocket of his jeans. Finally he held out a small envelope to her. "I actually came to bring you this."

She stared straight into his eyes as she took it from his hand. "What's is it?"

His smile flashed "Don't worry, no bribes, threats or incriminating photos, I swear."

She shook the envelope suspiciously while he watched with an amused smirk "Your lack of faith after all that we've been through...like a knife in the heart."

She rolled her eyes "I would have to be brain dead to trust you. You are like the original Hustler, trusting you is like practically handing over my pride, dignity and in some cases my common sense on a silver platter. The more time I spend with you the less I trust you, it's like an inverse relationship."

"Well, then this little note should cement your less than stellar opinion of me."

"I think that confirmation letter has already been received." She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a small heavy weight card , on it was printed an address in New Haven. She turned it over in confusion but there was nothing on the back. She waved it at him "Explain please, and leave out the subterfuge and declarification please."

He gave her a knowing look "If you remember our little wager, you owe me a coffee date. Every day for a month, today I came to you but from now on it's on my choice of turf. Meet me at that address at 9 am tomorrow for the next payment of debts."

She looked at him searchingly "How do you know I don't have an 8 am class? Have you been spying on me?"

He gave her a lofty look "I can't divulge my sources."

"Figures, the only time you fall back on the journalistic code of honor is when it suits your nefarious purposes."

"Selfish perhaps but I wouldn't quite cop to nefarious. See you tomorrow Ace, 9 a sharp, don't be late."

He collected his discarded clothes and she followed him to the door still staring at the little card.

"Nice to see you Paris" Logan yelled in a cheerful taunt. There was a muffled remark from behind the closed door that was unmistakably sarcastic in nature and Logan turned back to Rory. "She's just jealous because I only have eyes for you." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and backed out the open doorway with a wink.

It was said playfully but those warm laughing eyes, the smoothly handsome face with its roguish smile and the incongruously elegant tuxedo jacket half open with no shirt underneath over his jeans was enough to melt even her considerable defenses. That perhaps was the moment when the dam broke. Going purely with instinct she stepped forward and caught him by surprise when her lips met his softly. The kiss was brief but the sweetness of its promise lingered on his lips long after she had backed away almost shyly. "Tomorrow."

She closed the door on the whimsical grin that split his face and let out an unsteady breath. She decided that she was going to head for Stars Hollow a little early and see if she could catch her mom at the Inn, discussion of this couldn't wait any longer even if it meant enduring the requisite taunting about the cheerleading stunt.

Logan was flying, as much from the anticipation of what was to come as the thrill of euphoria from the brief kiss. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled away with a little bounce to his step. The future had never held more allure.

He sauntered over to his dorm and entered Finn's room without even knocking, what would be the point sleeping beauty never bothered to lock the door, or answer it for that matter. To his surprise he found both Colin and Finn awake and apparently engaged in some argument. Finn was wearing sunglasses as per the usual scenario and his hair was sticking up in about ten different directions suggesting that it wasn't long ago that he was still abed. Colin looked pressed and polished and neat as any Rhode's scholar, also not out of the ordinary. They both stopped their bickering abruptly when Logan plopped down on a chair opposite them with a dreamy look on his face. After a long moment of silence Colin finally spoke "Okay, lover boy what gives? You look over the moon about something."

Logan smiled and Finn groaned "He's been kissing Woodward again, I can tell, he has that look of an addict that has just gotten a fix. Its lamentable that love can turn to mush even the brains of once intelligent men."

Logan made a tsk tsking sound "Finn my friend you have got to stop spouting philosophical advice, if you aren't careful people might start to think that there is a brain in that scarecrow head of yours and then where will you be."

Finn put a finger to his chin in thought "It was Cervantes who once said the most difficult character in comedy is that of the fool, and he must be no simpleton that plays that part."

Colin rolled his eyes "You are impossible."

"Well I believe Douglas Adams, a little respected yet wise philosopher once wrote the impossible often has a kind of integrity which the merely improbable lacks."

This went on for a while, the bickering of the sidekicks and the goofy grinning of the hero as his mind whirled in giddy delight at the possibilities that lay visible through the crack of the door that had just been opened.

She dashed into Luke's at five past seven and was intercepted by an excited Lane. "Hey Rory, thank god you have resurfaced from the black hole. I've left you like six messages...I am in serious need of some girl time. Zach is driving me crazy with his obsession with hiding from my mom."

Rory stopped the babbling Lane "I'm sorry, I was sort of avoiding checking my messages for reasons that I will explain in great depth later, I m here now though and what is better than one on one face time? What time are you done? I'll come over to your place after I talk to my mom."

Lane gave her a thankful look "I'm off at 8, I'll meet you there, I'm drowning in boy land and it will be great to get a Rory flotation device."


	30. Deconstruction of a Kiss

Deconstruction of a Kiss

It was only six when Rory pulled in to the lot at the Dragonfly Inn but she was hoping to catch her mom before she called it a day and talk her in to dinner as well as coffee, not something that should be a hard sell as her mother was eternally starving. She headed for the main entrance but stopped abruptly when she heard a heated argument going on between, the two easily predicted combatants. Some things never changed.

"There is no way in my lifetime that we are serving cookies that were not made in my kitchen for the Dragonfly Inn's first Christmas buffet I don't care if they are from the King of France himself. " Sookie's voice was shrill and climbing to new registers as she spoke. Rory winced; apparently pregnancy was setting in with a vengeance.

Michel's snooty French accent made clear the identity of the other combatant and without even looking Rory could envision him stamping his foot and crossing his arms in petulant exasperation. "The end of your lifetime could be arranged quite soon if you wish and then all of our guests will be able to sample the superior desserts of the French, none of these American atrocities, candy canes, cakes that look like tree stumps and gingerbread dressed up as little men, with buttons no less. It is an embarrassment that they are called pastries at all."

Sookie's tone had dropped to threatening and there was no doubt in Rory's mind that a hormone fueled rage was well under way, beware the scorned expectant mother "If I see even one of those silly excuses for a cookie near my buffet table we will be having a French rack of concierge for our main entree. You and your little doggies too." She cackled to display her evil tendencies.

Michel gave a snort of disgust that only he could make sound as if King Louis IX himself had looked down on you and found you wanting in both manners and breeding. Rory heard him storm off towards the back of the Inn. Rory peeked around the corner to see if the coast was clear and saw Sookie still ranting and raving with wild gesticulations and periodic snorts of disgust. Thank god there were no guests in sight because they would probably be running for the hills right about now sure that the chef was soon going to go mad and chop them all to bits with a butcher knife. She was aiming for her mom's office but a creaking floorboard gave her away and Sookie whirled clearly ready for a second skirmish. She paused surprised when she saw Rory.

She looked slightly abashed when she caught Rory's guilty look. "You heard it all didn't you?"

Rory nodded with a hesitant smile and coughed to cover her amusement "Yeah, another knock 'em down drag 'em out over the Christmas buffet? Seems like a holiday tradition at this this year huh?"

Sookie laughed "You know I think you are right, just doesn't feel like the holiday season without a few go around with good old Michel over his ridiculously overpriced French confections." She giggled now with a Cheshire cat kind of grin "They're actually pretty good but at this point it's the principle of the thing and that secret I will take to my grave with me." She winked "I assume you are here to find your mom, she's in her office, probably listening to Michel tattle on me as we speak. Now I have a roast to attend to so don't let me keep you." She turned and started back towards the kitchen and Rory breathed a sigh of relief thinking that maybe no everyone knew about the cheerleading incident. Sookie turned and looked over her shoulder just before disappearing into the kitchen "Oh, by the way, I signed the petition?" when Rory's expression remained blank Sookie's forehead wrinkled "You know the petition about showing your little film at the Red, Black and White...well you mom will tell you all about it. Hey are you feeling okay? You look a little pale. Do you need some coffee or cookies or something?"

Rory all but felt the blood drain with a precipitous rush from her head. Oh god, it was worse than she expected, it was a town conspiracy. "Uh, no, thanks, I think I'll just go find my mom."

"Well, okay kiddo, just let me know if you need anything." Sookie watched as Rory vanished back towards Lorelai's office. Lorelai had been right this was going to be too much fun.

Michel's voice had reached new and unexplored octaves by the time Rory stood behind him in the doorway to Lorelai's office and Lorelai rolled her eyes expressively when she caught sight of her daughter. With impatience she shushed the ranting Frenchman "Look Michel you know Sookie has complete control of the buffet, even I would not tread on that sacred territory for fear that she strangle me in my sleep, she knows where I keep my extra key you know. You can have you cookies at the front desk and that is it. If they end up anywhere near the buffet you will be the sacrificial lamb of choice. Now go, answer phones with snide remarks, insult customers, whine about your lot in life, in other words, get back to work."

He narrowed his eyes" I have told you before they are not called this vulgar name cookies, they are Madeleines." He stormed off in a huff of indignation.

Rory watched her mom for a moment with a little smile "You know exactly what they are called, you were just goading him."

Lorelai gave her a wicked smile "My day is not complete if I don't make Michel squeak once at least, its the main reason I keep him around, that and he is good at keep bats out of the attack with that soprano of his."

She came around to the front of her desk and found an empty corner to perch on swinging her leg as she observed her daughter with her head cocked to one side for a long moment "You don't look any different."

Rory rolled her eyes "It was only two days, its not like they gave me a complete overhaul and reprogrammed me or anything."

Lorelai pursed her lips and then indicated that Rory should spin around for her perusal "You never know, have you ever seen Alias? You underestimate the creativity of evil genius. No piercing that I can see, no tattoos, although those could be hidden so I will have to sneak in on you in the shower sometime and check just to be sure. Your hair isn't blonde or any other shade of the rainbow. Of course, I can't comment on any microships they might have implanted. My censor is on the fritz. Barring that I guess you are right, on the surface you are the same Rory Gilmore that has always inhabited that body.

She gave her daughter a keen eyed look "It's like a Oreo cookie though, its the inside that is the most important part, without the cream filling all you would have is two chocolate cookies and well, that just wouldn't be an Oreo at all....right Krissy?"

Rory let her head fall back with a groan before she slumped into the chair in front of her mom's desk. "How much do you know and why is it that all of your analogies involve snack foods?"

Lorelai gasped "See I knew it they brainwashed you. No self-respecting Gilmore girl would ever call the sacred Oreo a mere snack food,. Why it is one of the five great religious emblems that form the core of the Gilmore creed, the other four being of course coffee, cheeseburgers and fries, pizza and Ben and Jerry's ice cream of any flavor but sorbet...ice cream with no fat and fruit is just a cheap attempt to fool us wiser folk into eating something good for us."

Rory was still staring at the ceiling but a smile graced her lips now, she realized sometimes amid these completely inane conversations that she really missed her mom. "I think that was one too many."

Lorelai shook her head sagely "No, only five because cheeseburgers and fries must always be eaten together, they are like Lucy and Desi or Ben and Jerry, one simply can not exist without the other, it is against all laws of nature. "

Rory laughed and then sat up. "So how did you find out?"

Lorelai gave her a smug look. "Let's talk about it in the car, all this talk of food has me starved." She grabbed her purse and coat and headed for the door. "Come on Krissy, I know the emaciated look is in amongst the pep crowd but it goes against the Gilmore code."

"You spent all day thinking these up didn't you?"

Lorelai gave a delightedly wicked laugh "I have a list, wanna see?"

Rory silently geared herself up in anticipation of the humiliation "What ever happened to a mother protecting her daughter? Have you no motherly instincts at all?"

"You know I think you are breaking some rule of pep. Don't the bouncing tiggers in skirts say cheerleading is more than a sport - it's an attitude?" She considered her daughter for a moment "Maybe you need a tune up."

"Are you going to do this all night?'

Lorelai put a companionable arm around Rory's shoulders "probably. Buck up little camper **Of all things you wear, a smile is the most important. Although I always say some pants don't hurt.'**

They were settled in the jeep before Lorelai launched into her tale. "They always say the mother is the last to know and in this case I think they were right. It seems that Kirk has a bit of an obsession about collegiate sports and religiously tapes the broadcasts of all collegiate football games that occur in the Ivy League conference, why this is the case is clearly beyond the scope of this particular investigation. Anyway, you can imagine my shock when Babette told me that there was some pirated footage of you in a cheerleading outfit apparently making what sounded like a porn flick from the seventies. Of course I defended you, no Gilmore would ever be caught dead in the outfit, much less playing the princess of pep to an audience of Harvard fans. It would go against everything in the code. Since I was so adamant in my denial of said event I was forced under some coercion into Kirk's basement, a little field trip that I would highly suggest you leave off your must see list unless you plan on reliving the worst parts of the Eight Legged Freaks, apparently besides the somewhat obsessive watching of college football games Kirk has a rather unhealthy fascination for arachnids, I'm going to be getting the creep crawlies for months after that little visit with in the underworld. They could write an entire textbook for Abnormal Psychology on Kirk. Anyway, as the resident naysayer I was treated to a personal, exclusive viewing of a piece of filmmaking history starring none other than my esteemed daughter carrying, drum roll please, pom poms. It was a cathartic event, the moment when I realized that somewhere in your childhood I must have gone terribly, terribly wrong, I almost wish it had been drugs, that would have been easier to explain, but pep, the antithesis of all that is Gilmore, the death knell to the age of mockery, such a crime has never been perpetrated in the annals of Gilmore girl history. It was a blow to the very integrity of the culture." She gasped and clutched her chest as if in pain, "You, my only child, have gone over to the blonde side."

Rory moaned "You have been waiting all day to say that haven't you?"

Lorelai nodded gleefully "Yep. Just wait I've got more. Do you know what bumper sticker they saw on the back of the cheerleaders car?"

Rory leaned her head back in resignation "No." she muttered.

"Body By Nautilus; Brain By Mattel" Lorelai clapped her hands against the steering wheel and bounced in her seat as she chortled.

Rory put a hand over her eyes "Okay, I hate to do it but I have to threaten you, if you keep it up with the rah rah jokes I'm not going to tell you about the kiss."

Lorelai's mouth made an 'O' of captivated interest and then transformed itself into a masterful pout "Mean, you are so mean. You know the only joy in my life comes from mocking the pretty and the peppy?"

**Rory crossed her arms "Nope, the pouting won't work and don't even bother giving me those Bette Davis eyes, I won't be budged, one more reference to pep, cheerleading, pom poms or short skirts and you aren't hearing a single word out of me about the rest of the weekend."**

**Lorelai seemed to be mulling over her options. This was a prime mocking opportunity but tales of a kiss could be good too. "How good of a story are we talking? On say a scale of one to ten, ten being the story about Kirk getting treed in the town square during his night terrors."**

**She pondered "A nine at least.'**

**Lorelai sighed in a belabored manner "And the moratorium on the pom pom jokes would only count for tonight?"**

**Rory rolled her eyes "Fine, only for tonight.'**

"**Okay but this had better be one hell of a story."**

They arrived at the diner and the looks they got just walking into the familiar surroundings were enough to make Rory want to turn tail and run. She had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. They made it to a table without mishap but that might have been just luck or the rather menacing glares that Luke was aiming at anyone who came near them. Her diner man in shining flannel to the rescue again. Sliding into their seats Rory carefully kept her face averted in hopes that lack of direct eye contact would convince people to stay away...as if that had ever worked in Stars Hollow. Luke approached with a greeting and a pot of coffee, welcome offerings in both respects. He poured coffee and took their orders with little mishap although he did seem to be attempting rather unsuccessfully to hide a smile.

Rory leaned across the table and asked in a half whisper "You told Luke?"

Lorelai laid her hand on Rory's and gave her a sad eyed look "Honey, Luke is my boyfriend, we have no secrets.... but actually in this case I didn't tell him...Kirk did."

"Kirk?

"It seems that Kirk has taken it upon himself to become your local Stars Hollow one man PR firm, he is a BIG fan and I think he is planning an entire line of Krissy merchandise to be produced and sold over the internet."

Rory's eyes went wide "Tell me you are kidding, pleased tell me you are kidding."

Lorelai gave a pitying shake of the head "Alas, I wish I could."

Thud...this was the sound of her head hitting the top of the table and then being lifted a scant inch and allowed to drop again. Thud, Thud.... this was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder and Rory raised her head only to be met with the visage of the infamous Kirk himself.

"Rory, just the person I was looking for. I wanted to ask you for an autograph, you know one of those I knew her before she was famous kind of stories that I can show to Letterman and Barbara Walters with a charming anecdote about small town life." He handed her a napkin "Here you can sign this, nice down home authentic napkin from the diner you used to frequent." She looked at him dumbly "You don't mind if I frame it do you, that might be worth a lot on eBay some day" he made some imagined slight and hurried to reassure her "Not that I would sell it of course, I'm sure I would never be able to part with it for purely sentimental reasons."

Thud....

"You know I started a petition to allow the showing of the movie at the theater, I've gotten over 30 signatures so its looking very good. Will you be coming back for the premiere?"

Thud...

"You know you really shouldn't do that, a bruise on your forehead will be very hard to cover up in the publicity photos. I read in Celebrity magazine that you can't be too careful about those things, once there is a picture of it out there somewhere on a paparrazzi there is no end to the rumors."

Thud...

Rory punctuated the thudding with a beseeching look at her mom who was clearly enjoying this whole scenario way too much, She had the look of someone watching a particular fascinating movie. "Now all I need is some red vines." She said with relish.

Rory glared and her voice came out in a hiss "You know you could help me get rid of him."

Lorelai considered this for a long moment "Yes, yes I could, but why would I? This is better than watching reruns of Growing up Gotti any day."

"Nice to know you will sell me out without a second thought just because it's the hiatus and there is nothing good to watch on TV."

"Well that and I am just so proud that my little girl has finally grown up and become the talk of the town, I had hoped that it would be for something that didn't involve showing your underwear on national television but what can I say, I'm just proud to be the daughter of a rising star."

Thud.....

"Okay, okay" Lorelai laughed as she put a hand down to stop the head pounding "All that head banging can't be good for those precocious little brain cells of yours. I'll get rid of him.' She turned to Kirk, "You know Kirk I bet you have a lot of great ideas for a promotional tour, why don't you show us a few of those.'

Rory whipped her head up and glared "What are you doing?"

Lorelai gave her a quieting look, "Shhh, I know what I'm doing, it takes finesse to get rid of Kirk." She turned back to Kirk "So as I was saying..."

Kirk cut her off "Oh, I do have ideas, great ideas. I've even worked out a cheer routine, let me demonstrate." He backed up a step and shouted "Give me a K" he jumped into a cheering stance that Rory supposed was intended to look like a K and held up a napkin in the air , he gestured towards it "You just have to pretend this is a pom pom. Give me an R" he formed a circle with his arms and kicked one leg out nearly tripping Luke in the process.

Luke stopped directly in front of him with two loaded plates of food "Kirk, does this look like a football field to you?"

Kirk made a garbled little sound "Um, er, well, no, but I was just demonstrating my routine for Ror..."

"No cheers in the diner." Luke said in a no nonsense tone.

"Well, um, " Kirk gave them a sorrowful look "Maybe I could draw up a few ideas for you and show them to you later."

Lorelai nodded solemnly "That's a great idea Kirk, why don't you get back to us on that."

"Yeah, oh Rory can you sign my pom pom, er napkin...."

"KIRK!" Luke's growl had become ferocious and Kirk cast one last glance at the irritated diner owner "Uh, never mind, I'll just get that from you later."

He nodded excitedly and Lorelai smiled at him brightly "Great, so I will have my people call your people and we will set up a meet. "

She laughed out loud when Kirk had backed out the diner, stumbling as he tried to walk out the door backwards. "I have always wanted to say that." She said with an evil smile. "Now we just have to get you out of here before he comes back with the megaphone and real pom poms' she shivered "Kirk in a cheerleading skirt is too scary an image for words."

Rory wrinkled her forehead in confusion "Why wouldn't he wear those little shorts the guys wear?"

"It's Kirk."

Luke brought their food and Rory grabbed it and tore into it with gusto, her appetite returned now that they had gotten rid of Kirk the king of kook.

"Whenever I get homesick for Stars Hollow all I will have to do is think of this moment and it will all go away."

Lorelai smiled "Ah, you know you love us, we grow on you, kind of like warts. " Lorelai took a big bite of her own burger and chased it with a gulp of coffee....."mmmmm, heaven on a bun." Her eyes popped open "Okay sweets, enough stalling, spill, and I want all the gory details every cough, snicker or sneeze."

"Lets see, I think we last left out heroine" Rory pointed to herself " that would be me, in the streets of New York, I believe you spoke with Logan, and by the way I still want to know what you threatened him with, I must not have heard that one before because he turned about three shades of white whenever I mentioned it."

Lorelai shook her head "Sorry, no can do, its specifically states in the mommy handbook that when one of the big threats is used it must never be disclosed to anyone who is not a fellow mother. I'm afraid if I tell you then they will take away my membership card and then what will I do? No more ice cream socials, no more quilting bees or tea parties....my life would have no meaning."

"Okay Mrs. Van de Kamp chill, I won't make you divulge your top secret curses on young men. " She went on to tell her the tale of the break in at Columbia between bites of hamburger.

Lorelai gave a shocked gasp and clutched her hand to her chest "You stole a book...the star of the Stars Hollow library, the winner of most responsible book loaner five years running, stole a book? You better not say that too loud, they might take away your certificate and I was saving those for a special little expose project."

She gave her mom a disgruntled look "You're funny...a regular Janine Garafalo. Can I finish please?" Lorelai waved for her to continue "After New York we headed for Boston and I think you probably know most of the story from that little outing. I am going to kill Logan for conning me into that outfit."

Lorelai gave her an inquisitive look as she paused with a fry halfway to her mouth "So it's Logan now is it?"

Rory waved her off "I'm getting to that..."

"Getting to it...does that mean that there is something to get to?"

"Don't heckle me or you will never hear the end of the story."

Lorelai pouted "But that's what I do, I heckle, I mock, I deconstruct, it's my calling in life. Are you asking me to give up the only talent I have that is worth anything?"

"Save it for the stage Norma Rae."

Lorelai sighed dramatically "No pity whatsoever, where did I go wrong?"

Rory took a couple more sips of coffee and started looking around for pie, which seemed to magically appear when Luke realized they were finished with their burgers. Lorelai gave him a sweet joyous smile "I love dating the diner man. You just have to love a guy who brings you coffee and pie whenever the whimsy strikes you?"

Luke looked a little unbalanced at her off hand confession of love but quickly backed away from the table pretending to hear Caesar calling. Rory looked at her mom "Did you just say you loved Luke?"

Lorelai paused as if the words that had tumbled out of her mouth had only just registered in her brain. Rory had rarely ever seen her mom as flustered. "I, I guess I did....I don't think I meant to, I hadn't planned to, at least not this way, but I must have meant to because I said it and it came out without even a hiccup, usually that doesn't happen unless its for real right?"

She looked at Rory with a slightly panicked expression as if begging her for an answer to that age-old question, Rory pointed to herself in shock "You are asking me?"

Lorelai cast another half scared look at Luke who was doing his best to avoid eye contact behind the counter and then shook her head in consternation and smacked herself on the forehead. "How do I get myself in these messes, maybe I should listen to my mother about that whole running at the mouth thing..." she gasped in horror and clapped a hand over her mouth at the blasphemous words that had somehow just escaped.

Rory grabbed her hand and pulled it away laughing now at her mom's antics "Now that's just the crazy talking. I'm sure its fine, you and Luke will figure it out. Don't worry so much, I know he loves you too and he is used to your crazy brain to mouth talking without he filter so once the shock wears off he'll be fine, better than fine probably."

Lorelai sat for a long moment and stared into her coffee cup as if trying to see the prophesy for the future in the dregs at the bottom. Finally she took a deep breath and looked up at Rory with a nearly incandescent smile. Rory felt her own lips curving, it was such contagious joy that you couldn't help but smile in response. Lorelai whispered in an almost awed voice "I love Luke."

Rory giggled at the happiness that touched her heart, happiness for her mom, for Luke and for herself that her mom had finally realized that she loved the man that had practically been her father for so many years. "I know mom, I know."

Lorelai sat there with shining, dreamy eyes for a long minute before blinking herself back from that starry eyed world. She would settle things with Luke later, when it was just the two of them. For now she had a story to get to the bottom of and a daughter to advise. Rory had come to her with the puppy dog eyes and wrinkled brow, classic signs of an impending romantic entanglement and she would bet her last cup of Luke's coffee that their old friend Big Mac was the man responsible. She knew the type. In fact she was the type, and Christopher was the type, Rory was practically genetically programmed to respond to that piper when he played. The fact that Rory had somehow escaped this trait in her teenage years had always been a secret wonder of Lorelai's but now she saw that perhaps it was a latent genetic predisposition which did not rear its head unless confronted with the correct stimuli and there was no doubt that Logan Huntzberger was a lethal dose of that stimuli. Lorelai only hoped that Rory knew what she was getting in to. In the end she could threaten young Mr. Huntzberger with all manner of physical and mental tortures but she couldn't keep him from breaking her little girls heart much as it pained her to admit it. It was painful sometimes to realize that Rory wasn't that adoring little clone of her anymore. She was a woman with her own heart and mind and her own life choices ahead of her.

Her head came up "Okay, if I remember correctly before this touching little Hallmark moment we were just getting to the good part. Don't think you are going to derail me that easily, you promised full disclosure and that is what I expect to get."

Rory continued with the story of the Trivial Pursuit, game leaving out only a few of the more touchy spots, those weren't really her secrets to tell. "Good thing you said Willy Wonka, I would have had to disown you otherwise."

Rory laughed aloud "I told them exactly that."

Lorelai sniffed "I've taught you well my child. Willy Wonka is a god. I think I want that on my tombstone 'I'm not going to heaven, I'm going to the Chocolate factory'"

Rory nodded and pretended to be jotting it down on her hand "Noted. So, back to the game, for the last question we had to divulge our deepest secrets or fears and somehow, although I don't think I really intended to I ended up telling them all about Dean."

Lorelai sobered quickly "You haven't really talked about it much, do you feel better about it now?"

Rory thought for a moment and then nodded slowly "I guess I do, it was one of those things that felt like this huge weight on my shoulders and somehow telling them about it was like casting off the shame I felt about it, facing it head on. Actually Logan was astonishingly sweet about it, not sappy sweet so much but sweet with that sarcastic edge, just the medicine the doctor ordered as it turns out."

Lorelai nodded, all bets were off now, no question Logan was in the game. "Okay, so we had a little night of unveiling secrets, some soul cleansing, then what?"

Rory talked her way through the Sunday antics and was telling the story of the Hollywood themed gala with great exuberance and many impressions of the involved parties when she got to the dance. Lorelai saw it the minute the tone changed, Rory's eyes got that far away look like she was imaging herself there right now, dancing the night away in the arms of attraction so to speak. Lorelai shook her head almost imperceptibly, she was definitely starting to see a trend here, Rory was either teetering on that edge or hanging on by barely a fingernail but it was only a matter of time before she tumbled and if she knew her daughter that was exactly the source of her angst,. Rory didn't like to lose control, she didn't like to go into the unknown without a guide book, she always asked directions when she got lost, she was in some ways mentally unequipped for love although Lorelai didn't believe that she had actually experienced the real thing yet. Dean had been her first love, her trial run and a sweeter first boyfriend a mother couldn't ask for, although some of the after effects were less pleasant to remember. Jess had been Rory's form of rebellion, she had no doubt that she had been attracted to him, had even believed herself in love but it was a love based on finding a kindred mind, on challenging her own views of the world and she had learned that lesson perhaps more harshly than was deserved. Now this Logan, he was everything Rory had always detested, cocky, rich, oozing charm, yet she had seen the way that Logan looked at her daughter, even then at the dawning of their acquaintance. He had looked like someone who had just seen the most beautiful piece artwork they had ever laid eyes on and were stunned speechless by its exquisiteness. She didn't know his motives but he cared for her daughter, perhaps more than he wanted to, and therein lay the danger.

She leaned forward after Rory summed up the rest of the night in broad strokes "My god, I am in awe, its like the plot of a Mel Brooks movie, I don't even know where to start my interrogation. The law breaking, the lush making or maybe the frog kissing." She tapped a finger to her lips in mock indecision "Lets start with the last one and work our way back shall we."

Rory sighed in a much-maligned fashion, she should have known her mom would latch onto the situation with Logan and worry it like a dog with a bone, although in reality she was kind of glad because she could really use some advice. Lorelai nodded decisively "So lets sum up what we know of the frog in question. He is rich, cocky and charming....three strikes against him right from the start" she held up three fingers on one hand "on the other hand he is witty, appears to have more than a solitary pair of neurons to his name and knows how to make good coffee, those three kind of cancel out the first three so we are back at square one which is good because I was going to have to go to toes next. The dancing was good, I'm going to assume the kissing was good from the loopy look on your face and the guy has an impressive cadre of friends all of whom are masters of film trivia and quotes, I've got to meet this Finn guy by the way. So what am I missing? What do you think of Logan?"

Rory stared out the window for a long moment weighing her mom's words. Her eyes landed on the gazebo, the last time she had sat there it was the night that she and Dean had broken up. It seemed like a millennium ago now but it had really only been a couple of weeks. The wounds were healing and they no longer hurt to touch. That wasn't what made her hesitate. The truth was she was scared of what she thought of Logan. She was scared that she had someone who could match her and challenge her. She had never been one to jump headfirst into love, "I guess he intrigues me."

"Intriguing...that's good, what else?" Lorelai was looking attentive now. "When you kissed who kissed who first?"

'Well, I guess technically I kissed him, but only because he sort of dared me to."

Lorelai raised a surprised eyebrow, Rory wasn't usually the one to initiate things in this kind of setting so this Logan fellow must have really gotten under her skin. "So if someone dared you to kiss, say Kirk, would you do it?'

Rory made a disgusted face "Ew, no, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Lorelai held up a hand "Hold on, I do have a point. So, Logan dared you to kiss him and this was enough to override your usual timidity and make you kiss this guy in the middle of a room full of virtual strangers and you are claiming it was just because of a little challenge?"

Rory flushed "Okay, well, maybe not entirely because of the challenge. Its just he really knows how to push my buttons and push me to do things that I wouldn't normally do. I don't know what it is about him that I always rise to the bait, usually I have no problem walking away from a dare." She sighed as if she felt defeated by this revelation.

Lorelai put her hands over her daughter's on the table "Maybe you like him."

Rory shook her head almost sadly "I do, I do like him, I didn't want to but somehow that didn't matter because here I am, in like with a guy I thought I hated a couple of days ago.'

"Sometimes the line is a little smudged between like and dislike." Lorelai paused unsure about how much to say, Rory had always been a little touchy when it came to discussing relationships and especially after the whole blow up about Dean this summer she was still careful to tread lightly in this direction. "Do you want my advice?"

Rory nodded slowly "Yeah, I guess I could use it right now, I'm just sort of all turned around, since the day I met Logan he has made it a habit of turning all my predetermined notions on their ear. I don't know what to think anymore."

Lorelai looked her in the eye "You just hit the nail on the head my dear, this is meant in the nicest way possible but that is exactly your problem, you think too much, I do it too so it doesn't take too much for me to recognize it in you. If you really think that you want to give this guy a chance you have to just let all your charts and graphs and lists and rules go. Love or like or whatever this is, those aren't rational things and you can't analyze them no matter how hard you try. You just have to let go and see what happens."

There was a long moment of silence as Rory digested her mother's words of wisdom, she knew from first hand experience that those words came from her mom's own hard learned lessons and she knew she was right. It was just that she had never been very good at losing control, it went against her nature. Maybe if they just set some ground rules then she would feel better about just playing it by ear. She nodded now with new resolution, yes that was it, she would meet Logan tomorrow and they would talk about what all this meant and then she could relax and ride the current the rest of the way. She looked back up at her mom "Thanks mom."

Lorelai looked into Rory's now decisive eyes and stifled a little groan "You're planning the strategy already aren't you?"

Rory opened her mouth to answer but never got the chance as Lane bounced through the door just at that opportune moment and made a beeline for their table . "Rory, I just heard you were here, I didn't have to work tonight and no one bothered to tell me that you were going to be in town tonight." She mock glared at Lorelai "Some surrogate mother you are."

Lorelai looked properly chastened "Sorry, I will take my punishment like a woman and get you pie." She started to slink towards the counter.

Lane laughed as she pulled Rory up by the arm. "I'll take a rain check, right now I'm going to steal Rory for some much needed girl talk" she looked around the diner now as if checking for spies "it is of a sensitive nature and there are too many eyes and ears here for the discussion, you know Mama Kim has informers everywhere. Besides , I just saw Miss Patty and Babette on their way here with Kirk and he was carrying a megaphone so I figured now would be a good time for Rory to disappear."

Rory looked at her mother in surprise "How did you know about the megaphone"

Lorelai laughed and tapped a finger to her head "I have mastered the art of following Kirk's particular brand of insanity, it is a must if you want to stay one step ahead of the nutcases, as I myself am a nutcase I take great pride in stealing his thunder. Now you had better skedaddle, Kirk on a mission is not a man to be trifled with, you just leave him to me, I'm great at obfuscation and misdirection."

Lane pulled her out of the diner at a near run and they made it to the corner just in time to see Miss Patty, Babette and Kirk decked out in full cheerleader regalia storm the diner. Rory had to smother a giggle as they watched Luke rant and Lorelai bat her eyes innocently as the three gestured wildly.

The walked the rest of the way to Lane's place at a quick clip trying to avoid any ambushes. The apartment was unoccupied when they reached it and Rory heard Lane heave a sigh of relief. Her eyebrows rose "Boy trouble?"

Lane collapsed onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling "More like dating your roommate and bandmate troubles."

"Ah" Rory plopped down next to her and prepared to hear the latest in the saga of the wooing of the somewhat clueless Zach.

"It's just that Zach is the lead singer you know, and he has that sort of lead singer appeal that is like some sort of special pheromone that attracts bimbos and trollops."

Rory nodded, personally she couldn't quite see the appeal of the unkempt band mate but everyone had his or her own type. Lane continued "Its just that Zach is used to dating band groupies and wanna be musicians who somehow think that by having sex with a musician they will grow some actual musical talent themselves and become the next Gwen Stefani or something. Or, worse, they think maybe they will be the next Yoko and go down in history for breaking up this great band, and while I have to say with little humility that Hep Alien is a totally rocking band I hardly like seeing these arm charms draped all over my boyfriend."

Rory nodded again trying to keep up with the somewhat circuitous logic "So, what exactly are you worried about? Do you think that Zach will cheat on you?"

Lane looked up the ceiling "I am afraid that if I don't have sex with him it will only be a matter of time before one of the skanky hoes gives him a better offer and he starts to wonder what he, the lead singer, is doing with the dorky, short, eyeglass wearing, Korean virgin. I'm mean it helps that I am an awesome drummer but that only goes so far in making me redeemable in eyes like his.'

Rory thought for a long moment, it wasn't like she was the expert on the birds and the bees, she had sex with one guy and look how that had turned out. "You're not dorky."

Lane grunted "That's the best you can come up with? There is no hope for me is there?"

Rory shrugged, "Well that other stuff was sort of true, you are Korean, you are sort of short and you are a virgin....I guess you could get contacts and that would take one off the list."

Lane threw a pillow at her "Some pep talk Oprah."

Rory laughed "Let me ask you one question. Do you want to have sex with Zach?"

Lane sighed and stared up at the ceiling "I don't know. I mean I know it's totally un-rock and roll of me but I guess I always thought that I would have sex for the first time with a guy I loved. I don't love Zach, I like him, he's fun and cute and sort of endearing in a cave man kind of way but I don't love him at least not yet and I don't think I can have sex with him until I know if I can love him. Am I being crazy?'

Rory lay back on the bed now as well and looked at the glow in the dark stars pasted on the ceiling thinking about her own recent initiation into the realm of the devirginized. "I don't think you are crazy at all. I mean I enjoyed sex with Dean, I loved Dean but it wasn't that kind of passionate, all consuming, drive you mad kind of love anymore and part of me kind of wishes that I had waited, that my first time was fireworks and the marching band and not just a nice subdues string quartet." She turned her head to meet Lane's gaze "I guess I should have stuck with the short answer instead of waxing poetic. I don't think you are crazy."

Lane smiled "Thank you oh wise one, I consider you my guru in all matters of the heart."

Rory shook her head sadly "Then you and I are both up a creek without a paddle because I don't have a clue what I am doing when it comes to anything concerning that rather indiscernable organ."

Lane leaned up on one elbow "Okay, enough about me, tell me what's going on with you and your preppy Bulldog friend."

Rory propped her self up on an elbow as well so she was facing Lane "I don't even know where to start....I kissed him on a dare, and then he kissed me on a balcony and then I spit coffee all over him and kissed him half naked. I think I may be insane.'

Lane squealed in delight. "Thank god someone besides me is all mixed up by love. Tell me all sister, I hear confessions are good for the soul."

Rory began the tale, all the while pondering the right starting point for tomorrow. She knew there was little chance of sleep tonight while these new emotions played havoc with her dreams. Well, tomorrow was a new day with no mistakes in it. An orchestra poised waiting for the first downbeat from the conductor an that downbeat would set the tone for the entire symphony.


	31. Only a Day Away

Tomorrow :

Logan got there early having decided in a fit of sleep deprived genius that if ever there had been time to pull out all the stops it was now. He had a plan prepared that seemed flawless but if there was one thing he had learned about Rory it was that she threw the unexpected into even the most foolproof plans and this time he was determined to be prepared. There was no way that he was going to let a girl that could reduce him, the worldly Casanova, to a grinning idiot with a single kiss, run without a fight. Life was about chances and this one was a doozie. Once he was sure the scene was set he settled in to chair and waited for the opening curtain.

Rory rolled out of bed early unable to sleep with thoughts of the first coffee 'date' with Logan carousing in her brain. She restrained herself from being early to the address on the card, not wanting to look too eager but it was clear he had her number because he must have known that the suspense and curiosity would eat at her until she broke. She pulled into a small parking lot at the given address with five minutes to spare. She sat in her car for two of those minutes lecturing herself about her resolutions. Yes, she wanted to explore this new thing with Logan but she was only going to do it on her own terms, she was going to set boundaries and adhere to them.

She got out of her car and looked up at the old building in front of her and stared blankly at the sign that read 'Wit's End Bookstore and Cafe'. A bookstore? Now that was a curve ball, of all the places she might have guessed an old bookstore wouldn't have made the top twenty. She walked over to the door and peered inside but couldn't see past the winding maze of bookcases. She pulled open the door a bit hesitantly and stepped inside. The spacious room was illuminated by the winter sun streaming in through the tall windows that made up the whole front of the building. She breathed deep the dusty aroma of old well-loved tomes and aged leather and shook her head again in wonder. Just when she thought she had Logan pegged he threw another surprise at her. She wondered if she would ever peel her way to the heart of the onion that was Logan Huntzberger.

She had yet to see any signs of life in the vast space so she followed a meandering path through the towering stacks of books, there were a few times that she almost succumbed to the temptation to browse but knew that was a path of no return. Had she been a girl of less fortitude she might have fainted dead away from the over stimulation of it all. She cast a covetous eye at many a treasure but continued resolutely on through this paradise of prose. It was the grind and whir of an espresso machine and the wafting heavenly aroma of coffee that kept her on the straight and narrow. She finally found an open archway at the very back of the large room and glimpsed what looked like a cozy little cafe through its portal. Her eyes went wide with wonder when she took in the warm painted murals on the walls, there was a small espresso counter at one end and the rest of the space was taken up with large comfy looking armchairs and coffee tables. It looked like a portal into a scholar's study straight out of an old turn of the century English novel. A room dedicated entirely to the worship and praise of the written word. There was even a fire crackling in a small fireplace on the far end. Rory sighed in pleasure; she could happily spend a good month or two in this spot right here and let the rest of the world drift away outside its inviting confines. It definitely threw her world off balance to realize that Logan was the one who was introducing her to such an idyllic place. That brought her back to the purpose of her presence here and her eyes scanned the room in search of her companion. She saw his spiky blond hair over the back of one of the chairs facing away from the doorway and she watched silently as he absently reached for a steaming cup of coffee that sat at his elbow and he flipped a page in whatever he was reading with such total concentration.

She crowed in delight "I knew it, I just knew it, I bet you are even a closet book sniffer. "

Logan spoke without looking in her direction" You got me, I am at your mercy now since you've got such scandalous blackmail material you could ruin me for good, I'd be the laughing stock of the LDB."

She waved a hand in dismissal as she rounded the chair "Nah, no one would believe me anyway, but I think that you knew that or you wouldn't have let me in on your little secret."

Her breath caught in her throat when she came face to face with him and he lifted his head to give her a pleased smile. There might be call for those smelling salts after all. Be still her beating heart, he was wearing glasses, cute glasses that lent a scholarly edge to his usually clean-cut, boyish good looks. With a brown sweater with the sleeves pushed up his forearms, and an old book resting in his lap he looked every inch the highbrow literati, whiling away a pleasant morning with a cup of coffee and a dog-eared copy of Hemingway or Salinger and ready to spout Shakespearean poetry at the drop of a hat. She felt her heart give a little flutter, damn; it was like he knew about her secret fetish for the cerebral type. She had probably been the only young girl ever to confess to her mom after watching Superman that she was in love with Clark Kent, the way she saw it who needed a guy in tights and a cape when you could have the guy in the glasses. A dashing hero was all fine and good but give her a bookish hottie any day and she would be drooling in no time, it didn't help that recent memory reminded her that she already thought he was drool worthy for other more physical reasons. Those glasses on his adorable face combined with the mirthful wit in his eyes and the quirky smile was a deadly combination.

She searched for words and for composure "You look..." sexy, irresistible her mind supplied, no, no, no her rational side screamed, way too soon for those kinds of declarations "different".

He raised an eyebrow suggestively as if he had heard her silent mental arguments. With supreme effort she broke his teasing gaze and dropped into a chair opposite him across the table. She looked around idly, trying not to focus on his new look too much. He waved a hand at the woman behind the small counter for another cup of coffee as he watched Rory take in her surroundings with an air of awe. He had taken a gamble showing her this place, one of his favorite hideouts that few if any of his friends knew about. It was one of the few places that he usually preferred to be alone with his thoughts and a good book.

When the woman arrived with a second cup of coffee he sent her a friendly smile

"Do you need cream or sugar?" the woman asked casually.

"No, she takes it black, thanks Marie." The woman smiled and headed back towards her counter. Logan turned his head to catch Rory's curious gaze, if she was surprised that she knew how she took her coffee she didn't show it. Her curiosity seemed to stem from his familiarity with the barista.

"Another conquest?" she couldn't quite help the edge of accusation, this definitely wasn't going to work if every other second she was faced with one of his cast offs.

He smiled as he lifted his own cup to his lips "Why if I didn't know better I would think that was a tinge of jealousy I detect."

She glared at him and crossed her arms "Don't flatter yourself, I just like to know what I am getting myself into and whether I have to spend all my time watching my back for some Fatal Attraction type attack from one of your spurned lovers."

He shrugged "If you say so. To answer your question, firstly I have to tell you that rumors of my promiscuity have been highly exaggerated, there aren't nearly as many spurned lovers as over inflated estimates might predict, secondly, I do have standards, some people have rules about dating in the work place, my rule is I never date anyone where I read. You can always get a new job but it's hard to find a bookstore of this caliber with coffee this good. I come here a lot so I know the names of the people who work here, you aren't going to accuse me of being gay when I say hi to Simon are you? If you are I should warn you he is kind of a tough guy and I don't think he would take questions about his sexuality too well.'

Rory laughed despite herself. "Has anyone ever told you that you are incorrigible?"

He nodded thoughtfully "Several actually but I think you may be the first one who could actually quote the dictionary definition of the word."

Rory took a sip of her own coffee and was pleasantly surprised by its rich flavor. She sighed "You know Huntzberger, with your apparent good taste in book stores and knowledge of superior coffee, you might just be the perfect man after all."

He grinned widely "So I've been told."

That got a chuckle and sarcastic eyebrow raise "Ah, now there is the Big Mac I expected to meet this morning. You had me thrown there for a moment with the whole Peter Parker look. "

He smiled his irascible smile that made her heart flip flop again. She was going to have a serious chat with that particular organ when the chance presented itself, one would think that it was trying out for the Olympic tumbling team the way it flipped and spun at ever other word out of this boy's mouth.

"I have it on good authority that girl's love the intellectual look."

She gritted her teeth and sent him an insincere smile hoping he wouldn't guess how close to the mark he had come on that one. "And who would be your source for this infinite wisdom?"

"Finn of course.'

"Seems sort of like asking for investment advice from the head of Enron."

He laughed "You'd be surprised, Finn seems to have a natural acumen for understanding the confusing psychology of the female mind " actually this didn't surprise Rory at all "maybe its because of his complete disconnection from the state which is normally referred to as sanity."

She gasped at the teasing slight to womankind "We were having a perfectly lovely cup of coffee and a nearly normal conversation so I am going to side step that little comment for the moment in the name of maintaining the peace because any conversation stemming from that topic will undoubtedly end in you becoming a eunuch and me leaving in a huff which seems rather unproductive all around. Besides I have something to ask you."

Logan raised his cup "Do pardon my slip of the tongue. Since you were so kind I will agree to answer your query. Ask away Ace." He set down his cup and focused all of his considerable attention on her, bracing himself for what he was sure was the first obstacle she was going to throw in their path. He wasn't disappointed.

Under his sudden scrutiny she shifted in her seat and fumbled a bit for the words, it had seemed very straightforward when she had practiced in the car but now the words didn't sound right in her head, she took a deep breath and launched into her spiel "Well, um, I guess that I am wondering what exactly this whole agreement to explore this, um, thing between us entails."

His brow wrinkled "You lost me Ace. Was that a question or a mission statement?"

She sighed in exasperation "How do we start this whole" she waved her hands vaguely "exploration thing?"

He nearly laughed but he could see that she was dead serious, oh dear; they had farther to go than he thought. "Well, um, actually, I hate to break it to you but I think we already heard the starter's gun and we are well into the first lap."

She nodded as if assimilating this information into some databank in her brain and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So, uh, what exactly is it that we are doing? "

This time he did roll his eyes "Would you like a road map or directions for assembly or something? I thought girls were supposed to be good at this stuff."

She bridled at the exasperation in his voice "Look, I'm just trying to get the ground rules straight, so there are no misunderstandings."

He gave a beleaguered sigh "Okay, well, if you insist, I had thought we would make it to at least the second sort of date before discussing the ending but here is the game plan. I figured we would have a nice little honey moon period, you know get to know each other, act all googly eyed and mushy and generally make people who are forced to be around us physically ill, that will segue right into a brief period of turbulence and identity crises, I understand that is often how these things work, after a few detours we will realize that ours is a star crossed love, we will settle down, get hitched and build a happy little life with 2.5 children a Labrador retriever and white picket fence and live happily ever after."

She looked at him like she was secretly calling the men from the loony bin with her cell phone right that minute and in the mean time she just had to keep him from jumping. Her voice came out strangled "That's not exactly what I had in mind"

He thought there was a tiny chance that she actually thought he was serious and couldn't quite resist the urge to have a bit of fun with her obliviousness. "Well, okay, the kids are optional but the dog is definitely a deal breaker, I'm planning on naming him Spot but that is negotiable."

He could see she was battling between and angry retort and the urge to laugh so he cut her off at the pass. "If you want I can have my lawyer draw up a little pre-dating agreement and lay it out all these stipulations nice and neat. I wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings.' He smirked at her look of total disbelief.

"You are certifiable do you know that?" she scoffed.

He raised an eyebrow "Now there's a case of the pot calling the kettle black if I have ever heard one."

"I just asked for a little clarity not the next 50 years of my life signed, sealed and delivered.'

He smirked "You say tomato, I say tomato." He stood up and grabbed his jacket from where it hung on a nearby coat rack. Shrugging it on he stepped closer to her." Well my dear Ace its been enlightening, as always, but I have run out of time for chit chat, places to go, people to see you know and apparently I have to see my lawyer about a contract."

She sat stone still the disbelief painted in garish relief across her features and he couldn't resist the urge to lean down and kiss her. He intended it to be only a chaste kiss but within seconds all the frustration she was feeling over the conversation gone so utterly wrong came bubbling up as passion and she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a deeper kiss. He was a little dizzy when he finally pulled away and he sent her a pleased smile "Whoo. I'll have to argue with you more often if that's the result."

She gave him playful look laughing at their ludicrous conversation now that the heat of the moment had passed, her eyes were dancing, her fears somewhat relieved for the moment.

She crooked a finger for him to come closer and she whispered in his ear "It's the glasses, I can't help myself.'

"Mental note recorded" he said as he straightened. "Same time, same place tomorrow?'

She smiled and nodded. He headed for the door with a last playful leer "I'll be the one in the specs. Until then Elinor."

She waited until he was out of sight to pick up the book that he had left sitting on the table and look at the front cover, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, she should have known.

After a bruising day in class Rory bit the bullet and made an appearance in the newsroom holding her breath in hopes that she would get lucky and miss both Paris and her new beau. Seems her lucky streak was all out of steam because when she entered the newsroom the first thing her eyes landed on was Doyle leaning over Paris' desk whispering sweet nothings in her ear although she shuddered to imagine what that might entail in their case. Heaven help the sane when the psychotic found love. She spoke before she could stop herself "Hey, no canoodling in the newspaper office, have you no respect for the sacrosanct?"

Doyle tittered a little before straightening. He pulled his sweater vest down a little self consciously when he met her eyes and then puffed his chest out and advanced on her trying to look intimidating she guessed although it was a little difficult when he was shorter than her and she had only recently had the image of him in blue flowers and trouser socks indelibly burned into her brain.

He glared and his first words were accusing "I thought you said you hated Huntzberger."

So this was the way it was going to be, first blood went to the combatant in argyle. "I thought you said that romance screwed up the whole dynamic in a newsroom." She said with a little challenge and glare in Paris' direction no doubt in her mind what his source had been for that little tidbit.

He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips "Touché Gilmore."

"Just calling it like I see it Doyle."

He nodded as if the argument were called at a draw "Insolence, I can respect that. Now get to work, I don't pay you to stand around taking jabs at my love life."

Rory rolled her eyes "You don't pay me period."

He waved a hand as he stalked off "Lets just go with it shall we."

"Whatever you say chief." she called with a little lilt of insubordination in her voice. Maybe this whole Paris and Doyle things wasn't half bad after all, as long as their mating rituals stayed behind closed doors he could actually use this to her advantage. She gave Paris a little wave and then plopped down behind her desk glad that little hurdle had been cleared.

Thirty minutes later she was chewing on her second pencil, having already been the demise of one innocent #2, she was beginning to feel a bit hypnotized by the blinking of the cursor on the still empty screen and she was getting absolutely nowhere. The emotions and experiences of the past days were swirling so rapidly in her head that she couldn't seem to grab one and bring it to ground to start her story. She didn't know where to even start the explanation of all that had changed in her world in the mere span of 48 hours. She needed a little time to have it all settle into a big picture that she could see and understand. Of course the whole debate with Logan this morning hadn't exactly gotten that whole clarity of mind and purpose off to the right start. She hadn't asked for that much really just a little clarification about where they were going and how they were going to get there. It wasn't unreasonable, was it?

She sighed in frustration and was just shutting down her computer to call it a day having given up on putting words to paper anytime in the next hour or two when Logan breezed in to the newsroom. She found herself smiling unconsciously and waited for his eyes to meet hers as he passed. She was still waiting as he charged right past her desk and sat with a great deal of aplomb in his own chair, never once sparing her a glance. Her impromptu smile faded into a frown of confusion and then turned to shock as she watched him do something she had never seen him do in the newsroom, turn on his computer. All motion stopped as everyone observed this uncharacteristic behavior.

He raised his head as if just realizing that all attention was focused on him and said in a rather snappy voice "Don't you people have anything better to do than watch someone work?" All eyes snapped to their desks, computer's etc and there was a great flutter of activity as everyone pretended to be busy while watching Logan out the corners of their eyes. "Yes" he snapped again "I do know that computers are used for purposes other than footrests and have on occasion even used them myself. Shocking I know."

Rory held in a chuckle. He was in rare form today and just to annoy him she made no pretense of hiding her curious stare, propping her chin on her hand and watching in fascination as his fingers flew over the keyboard. Something about him ignoring her made her want to pry into his activities. "Got a hot story?"

He didn't look at her "You know curiosity killed the cat Ace."

"Yeah but satisfaction brought it back" she was sort of enjoying poking this prickly Logan, that was until he finished whatever he was typing. She watched him wait with a foot tapping impatiently at the printer, and then watched him take out a long envelope and seal the document inside. She was totally taken by surprise when he walked straight to her desk and dropped the envelope in front of her.

"What's this?" she asked but she was talking to his back as he headed out of the newsroom, apparently having completed his desired task.

Once he had cleared the door of the newsroom Logan slowed to a leisurely stroll predicting that it would only be a matter of minutes before Rory followed ho on his heels. He had spent most of the afternoon replaying the conversation form this morning and he after a bit of therapy from Dr. Finn he had decided that it was time to grab the bull by the horns. If she wanted clarity, she was about to get a whopping dose of it.

Still perplexed she slit open the top of the envelope and pulled out a typed document. Her mouth dropped open when she read the top line; Pre-Dating Agreement for the undersigned parties and listed hers and Logan's complete names. She snickered a little at his middle name, Marlow, but when she scanned the rest of the odd document she snatched up her coat and grabbed the document and envelope and followed after him at a run. She was going to get to the bottom of this strange behavior; this was taking the ridiculous too far.

She caught up with him outside the building and yelled at his retreating figure "Huntzberger." No response "Logan, wait, I want to talk to you." finally he stopped and turned slowly, ever so slowly keeping a carefully neutral face. , Still panting for breath she advanced on him and waved the offending document in his face "What is this? A joke?"

He gave her a serious look and she couldn't tell whether it was for real or only a very convincing act. "I'm giving you what you wanted. An agreement, all the rules laid out nice and neat, I think if you read it you will see that I have been quite generous." He pulled a pen out of his pocket and twisted it to show the writing tip in a very good emulation of every lawyer movie she had ever seen. "Now if you will just read over the conditions and sign if you are in agreement then we can get on with this relationship, or shall I say contractual agreement."

She gaped at him; he never ceased to turn her words into the most ludicrous of statements. "This is utterly ludicrous, you know this isn't what I meant. You are just twisting my words.'

"How can you call it ridiculous, you haven't even read it?" He grabbed it and pointed to one of the conditions "As you can see here there are even early termination stipulations should we end said relationship I will keep Colin but I have ceded Finn to you, a fair distribution of assets if I do say so myself.'

Rory stared at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head "You are giving me Finn?"

Logan cracked a smile at this "Well, honestly, I've been trying to fob him off on some unsuspecting victim for a long time, but you two seemed to hit it off so I thought you might like him, he's not even hard to take care of, just feed him and give him liquor now and then and he pretty much amuses himself."

She shook her head at his insanity "This is totally preposterous."

"Oh really, as nonsensical as say asking for a list of ground rules on our first not quite date?"

She stamped her foot in impatience "Don't you ever take anything seriously?""

He looked at her with a completely solemn expression "Actually the point here was that you are being ridiculous, but I am deadly serious about this. I understand you are scared, I understand that stubborn is practically a religion to you, I even understand the compulsive need to try to control the uncontrollable but Rory this isn't just about you. You've fought the good fight but now you won't accept the peace treaty."

She retreated a little "What do you mean?"

He sighed and leaned back against a stone balustrade before looking over at her. A relationship. Any relationship is about more than one person, in this case I happen to be the other person and I have a few stipulations of my own. In my opinion a relationship is kind of like a good mystery book, there are ups and down, spine tingling moments of fear or anticipation, some good some bad but you work your way through the clues and the circumstances one step at a time and in the end maybe there is some great revelation or maybe you knew the answer all along but that isn't as important as reading the story. Now I would think being the lover of literature that you are that you would never consider reading the end of the mystery and then trying to start at the first page. It would be ruin the whole build up, the enjoyment of the suspense and that sublime frustration of thinking you have figured out the answer but never quite knowing for sure. If you already know how it ends its basic human nature that even that little piece of knowledge takes away from the enjoyment of the moment, you can step back and analyze it better the second time around but its never as exciting or thrilling if you already know its secrets.

I don't know if what we have can even be classified as a relationship but I still can't bring myself to turn that last page and read it before ewe even start. I can't tell you how its going to end or who dun what, I can't promise you a sure thing and I can't promise you happily ever after, nor would I want to try, but I can promise you it will be the ride of a lifetime. You know how I feel, I want to see what's around that next bend in the road but I can't do it with rules and boundaries that take away the thrill of living it. There is always a risk when you take that first step on a new path but that's the only way you really live. I can't accept halfway, I'm not a halfway kind of person; it's either all the way or nothing. We can go back to friends or acquaintances if that's what you want but I won't go forward fettered by a bunch of guidelines and I can't give you a map. If you are looking for those kinds of assurances then I'm not the guy for you. There is no point in even starting this if you think you already know how it ends.

Rory crossed her arms in a defensive position and finally interjected "You are twisting my meaning. I'm not asking how it ends; I just wanted to know how it starts, whether to turn left of right at the first stoplight. I just want..."

Logan put a hand over her lips and silenced her "You want me to tell you that you won't get hurt, but I can't do that. I'm not some all seeing god, you might get hurt, I might get hurt, its the risk you always take if you decide to let someone in to your life, if you let someone see the real you. I can't give you a fortune cookie that tells you it will all work out like in the fairy tales because I don't want to lie to you and I don't want to make promises that I don't know if either of us can keep. All I can tell you is that I am willing to take a chance, to grab your hand and jump off that cliff but I can't guarantee you a parachute."

He paused and looked into her eyes for once without any trace of laughter, his eyes sincere, penetrating and completely resolved, he grabbed her hands and pulled her close until his breath tickled her cheek as he gave her his ultimatum "Its your choice Ace, no one is forcing you but if you choose to jump you have to commit to it without a safety harness.'

She was silent as she leaned back slightly and looked into the warm caramel of his eyes. Finally she spoke in a soft voice "So no potato crash test dummies on this one huh?"

He cracked a small smile as he stepped back from her and released her hands "You jump I jump Jack."

She was motionless for a long time as she watched him walk away until his figure disappeared around the corner of a building and was lost from sight. Could she do it? She had jumped with him once before, physically but could she take the leap emotionally? Logan made no pretense of pretty promises, he gave her nothing but truth and that scared the hell out of her.

This was no beginners board anymore, this was the high dive and nothing guaranteed that there would be water in the pool when she landed, maybe the best case scenario was an ungraceful belly flop.

She managed to put off deeper thoughts until after dinner but only barely and his words still echoed. She walked back towards her suite slowly moving on autopilot her mind consumed by the what ifs, her perpetual demons. She was curled up on the couch staring out the window deep in thought when Paris came charging into the suite. She stopped and scanned Rory's position with an officious air.

She rose an inquisitive eyebrow "You sure shot out of that newsroom like a bat out of hell, care to explain the hasty departure? You and the Skipper have a little lover's spat?"

Rory rose to the bait, only to willing to sidetrack herself from the current thoughts running like a squirrel on a wheel in her brain. "We are not lovers, we are.... well I don't know we are but it definitely isn't that.'

Paris shrugged with a an arch look "Sure, and the SS Minnow was only out for a three hour tour. My instincts distinctly detected love in the air during the last little interlude that I interrupted, or do all your little male friends always wander around looking like a page right out of the Chippendales calendar?"

Rory scoffed "I certainly hope you are talking about the horses because otherwise I am going to be forced to remind you of the little peep show that I was treated to by your little boy toy."

Paris put her hands on her hips "I'll have you know that is a very comfortable robe."

"Yeah, and it was a perfect fit if Doyle is planning to audition for the Victoria's Secret men's catalogue as a little side job."

That was like poking an angry alligator and as expected Paris snapped back "You know a friend would be happy that I found someone with whom I could converse without fearing for the degradation of my brain cells just by association. A friend wouldn't stand in the way of my personal growth."

Rory gave her a toothy smile "and a friend doesn't let a friend screw their editor."

"And consorting with an emotionally unavailable hotshot is your idea of a good relationship choice? Call me crazy but I think I'll stick to Oprah for advice before I take your word for it."

They were practically nose-to-nose when a knock on the door interrupted the face off.

"Why don't you get the door Paris, its probably Doyle looking for a matching teddy to go with the robe."

Rory could practically hear Paris' teeth grinding and neither one of them budged. They were both surprised when the door swung open and revealed a hesitant Marty who held up two paper bags and shook them merrily "I come bearing gifts...." he trailed off as he took in the tension that was rife in the room. "Uh, maybe I should come back later."

Rory stopped him "No, come in Marty, Paris and I were finished anyway."

Paris backed off with a huff "yeah, remind me to return that knife you just stuck in my ribs after I have it surgically removed." She spun on her heel and headed for her room.

Marty raised an eyebrow "I see Paris forgot to take her medication today.'

"Har har har, very original' Paris muttered.

Marty ventured further in to the room "I brought some goodies from the party...' he trailed off as if he suddenly remembered what party he was discussing and flushed a little "Uh, well, I guess you were there so you probably already tried them but it can't hurt to have a few more. Those chocolate cream puff thingies were to die for."

Rory smiled in relief glad that things between her and Marty seemed to be back in equilibrium "Chocolate cream puffs, how did I miss those/? My dessert tracking device must have been on the fritz.'

Marty nodded as he opened the bag for her perusal "Might have something to do with the dancing or the kissing." Rory's eyes shot up to his but he was smiling, friendly and without malice. That's what she loved about Marty; he was truly a nice guy. Paris on the other hand, was not so nice, at mention of a party she had stopped in her tracks and the comment on kissing had her abruptly changing direction.

"Party? Kissing? My investigative instincts are telling me there is more to this story."

Rory sighed dramatically, who needed pestilence and locusts when you had friends and potential suitors. "Look, it's not even an interesting story, oldest one in the book, girl meets boy, girl argues with boy, girl dances with boy and girl kisses boy on a dare. Old news, nothing more to see here." she turned Paris by the shoulders and pushed her back towards her room.

Paris resisted, of course, nothing got Paris' interest piqued more than being out of the know. "If you don't mind I think I will cross examine the witness."

Marty looked a little scared as she advanced on him like a cat about to have a mouse for lunch. "Is she always this litigious?"

Rory almost laughed "This is nothing, you should have seen her when she thought I was trying to seduce Doyle to get the religion beat." she paused "Hey now thats an interesting bit of Freudian foreshadowing wouldn't you say? "

"Laugh it up Gilmore, I'm going to get to the bottom of your little escapade. So, Marty tell me all about this little party. Who was doing the dancing, who was doing the kissing, and I want names."

Marty stuttered a little "Uh, maybe I should just be going, I just remembered I have some studying to do."

"Cute Marty, trying to pull the old I've got to study ploy. I'm not stupid Marty and I could eat you for breakfast so don't toy with me."

Marty sent a helpless look at Rory and she jumped to his defense. "Stop badgering the witness Paris." She grabbed Marty by the arm and pulled him towards the door, she whispered in his ear "Okay, here's the plan, I'll distract her and you make a break for it.' She turned back towards Paris "You win Gellar, I admit that I have to recant my previous testimony regarding my sentiments about one Logan Huntzberger, it turns out that he is not exactly the villain of the play. I saw a different side of him this weekend and I guess you could say there is an unexplored attraction between us."

'Now there's a headline for the Daily News.' Paris caught a glimpse of Marty's face as it fell before he turned and opened the door. She actually felt a little sorry for him. Much as she enjoyed goading him Marty wasn't a bad guy and he totally had a hopeless case of Rory Gilmore infatuation, a syndrome that Paris had seen from behind the scenes a few times. They always fell for the sweet, innocent princess bit but they had no idea what they were really getting. It wasn't even like Rory did it on purpose she just seemed to have that strange effect on men but she was just too clueless to pick up on the signals.

"What does that mean?"

Paris nodded sadly and spoke as if explaining the workings of planet earth to a being from another galaxy "Rory, its like a preordained certainty that you are always the last to know when a guy is in to you. I just don't get how an intelligent girl like you is so totally imbecilic about a thing like love. I would think with your touchy feely up bringing you'd be ahead of the curve on this type of thing but it never fails that you manage to somehow get the guy to fall in love with you and you are still floating along in la la land oblivious to it all and telling them how you are such great friends."

Rory paled, she hated it when Paris was right. "Logan's not in love with me.' It came out defensively, he couldn't be right?"

Paris snorted "maybe not yet but I'm sure its only a matter of time before you cast your Rory spell on him, guys are suckers for it, besides I wasn't talking about boat boy.'

Rory winced in recognition and her voice came out guilty and weak "You know about Marty don't you?"

Paris looked a little surprised "I'm just shocked that YOU know about Marty. He told you didn't he? You would never have figured it out on your own.'

Rory nodded and now she collapsed back into her fetal position feeling a bit sick about the whole thing as she dropped her head to her knees," He kissed me." it came out a mumbled confession.

"Love makes fools of even wise men. So what happened?' Paris sat down next to her.

Rory sighed before raising her head "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Marty is a great guy but at this point kissing him was kind of like kissing my grandfather, a little icky and totally platonic. I guess you just can't manufacture chemistry when all there is to work with is friendship."

"And with the other recipient of the kiss?'

Rory got a far away look "Chemistry isn't the problem there, in fact I think if we had anymore chemistry we would be in real danger of spontaneous combustion."

Paris nodded "So what is the problem?"

"Logic."

Paris threw her hands in the air and stood up "No, your problem is that you are so busy envisioning yourself in the David and Goliath kind of battle that you don't see that right under your nose is a guy that by your own admissions isn't as much of a monster as you thought he was."

Rory looked up at her "You know for a non believer you spend an awful lot of time spouting biblical references."

"I'm immersing myself in the culture, what any good reporter does.'

"Uh huh, and that's what I was doing with Logan and his friends, immersing myself in the culture, so what's the difference?"

Paris gave her a completely exasperated look "personally I try to stay away from amorous interludes with priests, I may not be a believer but when it comes to eternal damnation I'm willing to hedge my bets. Nice attempt to change the subject though. Look Rory, its no skin off my nose if you run from another Prince Charming but if you want to get on this ship you better do it quick because a captain like Logan isn't going to weigh anchor for long. Now I've got a prayer circle to attend so I will leave you to your mantra...maybe it should be O' Captain my captain."

She was in and out of her room with her coat on as she rushed out the door, her last words carried behind her. "I'll pray for you."

Rory laid her head back on the couch arm and stared out the window again for a while before pulling the Pre-dating agreement out of her book bag and looking at it for a long moment. Was Paris right? Was Logan right? Was she really so paralyzed by the fear of the unknown that she couldn't see past that barrier in the road to what might lay ahead? It seemed like no matter what road she took she ended up right back at this impasse with her fear the main impediment to forward progress. As hard as she looked she could find no way through the hurdle except to go over it. What was holding her back, what was she waiting for? A divine sign?

As if on cue her eyes caught a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked out of the window to the now darkened sky and her mouth fell open in wonderment when she saw small white flakes of snow spinning and twirling in the light from the windows. She got up slowly and walked like a woman in a trance towards her door and out into the courtyard. The night air was chilled and she felt the tiny kiss of the icy flakes on her bare arms but she still could do nothing but marvel at the strange twist of fate that had brought the first snowfall on the very brink of this moment of reflection. . Maybe it was only Gilmore superstitious belief in the mystical powers of snow but her mother had always claimed that the best things in her life had happened when it snowed. Could it be that the magic worked for her as well? If she was waiting for a portentous sign from God she wouldn't get much better than this. She looked down at the mock contract in her hand and in a split second her decision was made. She knew exactly what she had to do. The time for indecision and doubts was past. She practically ran back into her dorm room, anxious now to step into tomorrow with a clean slate.

Logan was lounging in front of the TV flipping channels aimlessly when he heard a strange soft thudding noise in his bedroom. He went in to investigate and saw the remnants of a small snowball splattered across his window. That was odd because he didn't remember any mention of snow in the forecast, in fact this afternoon it had seemed unseasonably balmy. He went over and looked out into the newly white landscape but saw only a couple of small footprints on the sidewalk to indicate the recent presence of another person, probably just a random passerby who was out frolicking in the winter wonderland. He turned back towards the room but stopped abruptly when something caught his eye. He slowly unlocked the window and pushed it open until he could reach the envelope that was taped to one corner. He pulled it inside and quickly shut the glass to keep out the swirl of icy air that had blown in a few stray snowflakes.

He weighed the envelope carefully in his hand as he walked back towards his bed. He knew whom it was from but he was undecided about whether he wanted to know her response to his rather unceremonious mandate. He wasn't usually the sort to resort to ultimatums but desperate times called for desperate measures. Taking a deep settling breathing he gingerly opened the top of the envelope and reached in to pull out its contents. He sat for a full thirty seconds in silence before a throaty chuckle escaped his lips. He knew his decision had been the right one because he had finally found a girl that never ceased to amaze him.

In his hands sat a small plastic baggy filled with what he guessed were the shredded remains of the Predating agreement with at purple sticky note stuck to the front of it that said in bold capital letters 'I'M IN'.

A/N Hello all, I just wanted to say thank you so my reading and reviewing so loyally it has really kept the momentum going. Even though we have now reached the point where Logan and Rory have "gotten together" I am planning on continuing this story onward into their relationship. However, as I have now reached chapter 31 (gasp, how the chapters fly when one is forced to amuse oneself over the hiatus) I thought it the opportune time to take a little poll about whether you all would think it better to continue this story (is 60 chapters too many?) or to end this story here and pick it up as a new story? Please weigh in if you feel strongly either way. For now I will plan to continue. Thanks again for all the great feedback, you guys rock!


	32. Part 2: Braving the Unknown

A/N: Sorry about the long delay, vacation and catching up from vacation sort of swamped me. Here's a compromise on the whole new story vs. continuation question, hope you like it. Thanks so much for all the feedback.

Part 2: The Point of No Return

The first morning was a little nerve-wracking. Although Rory awoke refreshed and without regret about her impromptu acceptance of Logan's little challenge that didn't make it any more certain where the path would lead from this moment. Could be the path to happiness, could be the road to ruin, she supposed the only way to know for sure was to pry herself from her warm cozy bed and face the lion in his den. She glanced at her clock, surprised when it only read quarter after eight. If she put herself in gear she might just beat him there today and afford herself a little leisurely time to peruse the fine establishment and get the lay of the land so to speak.

She sailed into the Wit's End and a pleased smile lit her face when she saw that she had beaten him there. Intuitively Rory knew that it didn't matter who got there first but there was a certain admittedly childish satisfaction to settling in to one's seat, savoring that first sip of coffee with a nice side dish of surprise when he saw her already comfortably settled into the same seats they had occupied the day before, although that mere span of 24 hours seemed to have been a lifetime. Rory was ready this time, ready for the pleased smirk, the donning of the glasses, and the scholarly pose with newspaper in hand. She was ready to dissect, examine and scrutinize the mystery that was Logan Huntzberger. She had read the first page and she figured him for a page-turner. Every sleuthing instinct from her brain straight down to her gut said that this would be no predictable ending where the butler did it all, this was going to be one of those twisting, convoluted hair pin turn kind of rollercoaster rides of a story. Now that she had stopped denying to herself and everyone else that she was interested in finding out what really lay behind that sexy smirk her curiosity was piqued and she was on the edge of her seat waiting to start the next chapter.

Once she had settled her belongings so they indicated that the two chairs were taken she approached the behemoth of a man behind the counter somewhat hesitantly wanting to make a good impression, if there was one lesson she had learned from her mother it was that it always paid to make friends with the provider of the coffee. Rory was guessing that this mountain of a man was perhaps the Simon character that Logan had mentioned, he was muscular and built a little like a linebacker but had curiously artistic features, nearly beautiful in their sculpted perfection.

He caught her staring at him and she blushed and then stuck her hand out to him. "Hi, I'm Rory Gilmore."

He raised a bushy black eyebrow and eyed the outstretched hand for a long moment before engulfing it his massive one. "I'm Simon. Now what can I get for you?"

She leaned forward and considered the drink options, "I'll take the largest cup of coffee you have and then about three refills."

His eyebrow rose "You know that much caffeine could kill a little thing like you."

She scoffed and the automatic retort slipped out before she could stop it having been conditioned by the similar lecture from Luke "You know I would think that people that work at coffee shops wouldn't discourage paying customers who buy coffee."

He shrugged "Hey, its a good business strategy, in order to be a good paying customer you have to live to come back and buy coffee again."

"Well, at least if I die, I'll die happy, I am willing to take my life into my own hands. I do appreciate the concern though.'

She looked back at the two chairs pulled together. "I don't know what Logan drinks so I will let him order when he gets here.'

That got the mountain man's attention and she wasn't sure is his voice bordered on friendly or hostile "You are a friend of Logan's?"

She was slightly nonplussed by the abrupt interrogation "Uh, yeah I guess you could say we are friends. I take it you know him?"

"You could say that, I'm just surprised, Logan usually comes here alone."

That got her attention "You mean he never comes here with Finn or Colin or Stephanie?'

Simon shook his massive head "I don't know any of them."

"Hmmm, now that is interesting." Rory shot him a brilliant smile and grabbed the cup of coffee that he had placed in front of her "Thanks for the info."

"My pleasure, anything for a friend of Logan's."

Rory found it curious to note that no matter where she went the mention of Logan's name seemed to elicit a variety of responses, she had seen respect, admiration, greed, lasciviousness and curiosity but in very few had she seen a lack of recognition, it seemed that the eminence of his reputation preceded him. She wondered how many of the rumors and tales and outright urban legends about him were really true. Now that she had opened that door just a crack she was dying to know the answers. It was the beginning of a new Age of Exploration right up there with Magellan or Cortez.

Logan broke through her randomly wandering thoughts as he came in cheeks flushed from the cold, hair spiked to artless messy perfection and a pleased smirk on his face. If he was surprised to see her already there he didn't show it, instead he headed straight for the counter where the giant Simon crooked a finger and leaned over towards him. She could hear a mumbled conversation and guessed from the eyes that slanted in her direction that it somehow concerned her presence here in what appeared to be his sanctuary. She actually felt a little flattered that he had invited her into this little corner of his world but she decided not to let that go to her head.

She gave him a nearly coquettish look over the rim of her cup as he approached with a cup of coffee and a newspaper in hand. "Hi there my fellow explorer, running a bit late the morning I see." She gave him a winning smile.

He grinned back at her "How do you know I didn't just come late so that you would get be happy about beating me here?"

Her grin slipped a notch, wouldn't that be just like him to let her win "I think you just overslept."

He shrugged nonchalantly "Hey, whatever makes you happy, I aim to please."

She looked at him suspiciously "Since when?"

He gave her a brilliant smile as he pulled his glasses out and put them on. "Since you agreed to do things my way.'

She ignored the irritating flush of heat as she stared at his attractive visage and glared and muttered something that could only be construed as an unkind comment regarding his ego.

He gave her a considering look "You seem a little testy, maybe we shouldn't talk until you have drunk a few more gallons of coffee.' He unfolded his paper and began to peruse the headlines.

She was having none of the dismissal and swiped the paper back down to his lap. "What did Simon have to say that was so top secret?" she questioned.

He ignored the irritated tone "If you really must know he was complimenting me on my superior taste in literary companions. Glad to know you are making friends with the locals and dropping my name never hurts around here." He said it with a self-satisfied smirk and she couldn't fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Maybe we should pull up another chair for your ego, it must be getting crowded in that one."

"I was just trying to humbly compliment you on your networking skills, there is no need to unsheathe the claws just yet.'

She snorted rather indelicately in clear skepticism.

He raised an eyebrow and lowered one corner of his paper "Are you going to continue to heckle me or do I get to finish this story sometime this century?"

Rory shook her head sadly and settled back into the chair "I was all prepared to make you Lewis, but if this is your idea of humility I'm naming you Cortez and you can just deal with the karma of that bloodthirsty legacy. Now give me the comics." She held out a hand imperiously.

Logan sniffed and raised his paper back up "I don't think I look much like a Meriwether anyway, what kind of name is that for an explorer? Besides I don't believe in Montezuma's revenge so I think I'm safe."

Time passed, as time often had a sneaky way of doing when you weren't paying close attention and a mere fortnight found our recalcitrant romantics desperately trying to find their way in the shifting landscape of two lives that have quite suddenly had a head on crash and both come out off kilter and irrevocably different.

Life had a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expected it. While your attention was focused off in the distance these insidious little day-to-day decisions designed the world you roamed through with blinders on. Then one day, someone came along and snatched those blinders of without so much as a by your leave and suddenly you were face with a whole wide world that was completely unfamiliar to you despite the fact that you had lived and breathed in that world for your entire nineteen years of life. Rory guessed that perhaps this was one of those seldom discussed facts of life that adults preferred to frost right over with sugar coated platitudes. Her own mother had long been forthright about the little vagaries of the process of growing up but Rory realized now that you couldn't truly appreciate the wisdom of your elders until you had seen it for yourself. Unfortunately proper respect was quiet often strengthened by the retrospective analysis. Rory shook her head to loosen the hold of this circuitous train of thought knowing better than most that a Gilmore could wander quite a distance on a tangent and quickly be lost to the world of reason. She should at least leave a trail of breadcrumbs so she could find her way back to the original thought that had started her on this merry journey; apropos it was a conversation with her mom.

She lay in bed staring at the ceiling and tracing aimless patterns with her eyes as she contemplated the strange twists in the road of life. In the mere twinkle of an eye that two weeks represented in the fabric of time Logan Huntzberger had become part of her routine. Like a piece of the puzzle that you had abandoned all hope of finding, figuring that someone had vacuumed it up or lost it for good until you found that perfect piece that somehow, despite appearances to contrary just fit into that little corner and completed a picture that you hadn't anticipated. They had met daily for tankards of coffee, banter, friendly debate and pastries, the last of which was definitely not the least. After one of Simon's homemade scones with raspberry jams she would gladly die a blissful, sated death.

She and Logan rarely came down on the same side of any subject but they did share an uncannily similar list of favorite authors. They had talked about all manner of subjects and she was always surprised at how their scant time flew. She had been skeptical about their compatibility even after that illuminating weekend with him on the scavenger hunt, Part of her had wanted to prove him wrong, to fall back on her original safe assumptions about him but she had forced her self to take the step forward with her eyes wide open and tried to keep her mind flexible with the possibilities and he had continually surprised her, shown her unexpected sides of himself that she guessed the world outside the Wit's End bookstore rarely came into contact with. She wouldn't ever call him sweet, that would have been trite and actually quite far from the truthful, but he was shockingly observant for someone she had initially assumed to be completely self-absorbed and he was a frighteningly accurate judge of character which allowed him to do those thoughtful little out of the blue things for someone that went far beyond charm and little by little like a wave against a rock he wore a hole in even the tightest defenses. And now the old and comfortable routines didn't feel so comfortable. She had thought she was ready but she wasn't, not really, she wasn't ready for the beat her heart skipped whenever he walked into a room or the unbidden smile that she could feel on her lips whenever he winked at her or sent her one of his patented smiles that seemed aimed directly at her despite the room full of people. She had know she would enjoy their banter as that was the one constant form the beginning of their acquaintance but she had been unprepared to miss his company when he was not around, she enjoyed kissing but had been caught unawares by the way he made her body burn and melt at the same time and left her breathless with even the smallest kiss. She was fond of him but had nut fully considered the ramifications of falling into, well, whatever came after fondness.

It was a prescient statement by her mother two weeks ago that had Rory staring off into space and worrying her bottom lip. They had been having a perfectly reasonable discussion, well, okay perhaps it wasn't reasonable by any standards but their own but for them it was downright mundane. Her mother had run out of steam or at least was taking a bit of a sabbatical on the mockery of the pom pom incident and had moved on to greener pastures, the analysis of her budding relationship with Logan Huntzberger. It wasn't that you could really even define their relationship yet by any traditional categorization, they were teetering on that edge between friends and something more than friends but hadn't quite stumbled forward into the whole morass that the civilized world would term dating.

She should have expected it. Her mother certainly had, when she had relayed the tale of the first bookstore coffee date and the predating contract it had taken Lorelai a full five minutes to stop laughing in appreciation. Then she had sobered slightly and delivered her judgment in a matter of fact tone "this one is good kiddo. He keeps up with your sharp tongue can reference nearly as many out of print literary classics as you can and had you pegged to a tee on the whole first coffee date at the bookstore thing. Add in the glasses, the cuteness factor and that deadly smirk and you might as well just run up the white flag and surrender now."

Rory knew that she had been petulant when she answered, "If he's so perfect maybe you would rather date him."

"You have your arms crossed and you are tapping your left foot and pouting right now aren't you?"

Rory looked down at her crossed arms and tapping left toe, damn her mother for knowing her so well "I wouldn't admit it even if I was."

"Oooh you got me there. Don't think I could date Big Mac though, even if the age factor made it just a shade shy of the whole Douglas and Zeta-Jones level of ickiness it would be sort of like dating myself, or your father which I already tried, twice and I prefer to be the person who does not play the fool more than is absolutely necessary. Sorry kid, he's all yours, smirk and all. If I were you I wouldn't fight it so much. Maybe it will be fun.'

Rory started to cross her arms again but forcibly restrained herself "I already told you that I agreed to the let's see where this leads with no rules bit."

"Yeah but I can hear that stubborn little imp I like to call pig-headed Rory rearing it's little head and raring up for battle and I have a feeling that this guy isn't going to give up without a fight and rarely ever stops until he has gotten what he wants. "

"Please enlighten me oh wise and exalted one, what is it that you think he wants?"

"For the sake of my pride as a mother please tell me you aren't really that clueless."

She was right about the pig-headed bit, Rory could hear it in her own voice but couldn't seem to stop it from speaking its mind "I don't know what you are talking about."

"That boy wants you, he is one-hundred percent, prime-time in, well if not love at least infatuation with you."

Rory's retort was a little edgy "Well I haven't decided if I want him yet so there is no telling what will happen. I might get to know him better and decide that I don't like him at all and just walk away from the whole crazy idea.'

The disbelief practically dripped from Lorelai's words "Sure kid, keep telling yourself that, but in the meantime just don't turn your back on him. I like him, which means he has a crafty devious streak that you should never underestimate. That kid could probably talk an angel to giving up his wings in favor of a good party in hell." There was a brief pause as Rory heard a door opening in the background and muffled words exchanged "Okay sweets, I gotta run that's Luke and he is looking particularly yummy tonight in the flannel du jour. Or maybe it's just the French fry smell, I think it acts as an aphrodisiac."

Rory made a disgusted sound "Ew mom, daughter here you know, a daughter who would prefer not to have to spend thousands of dollars in therapy to erase the memory of those images. I'm beginning to think that whole spotless mind concept isn't such a bad one. What do you think they would charge to wipe all memory of one's mother from the subconscious?"

Lorelai hissed in a breath "ooh, playing dirty now, better be careful, you know I do have all the baby pictures and the diaries and the debutante gown. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find a little number in the phonebook, I mean how many Huntzbergers can there be in Connecticut?"

Rory stifled a chuckle "Fine, fine, I won't have you erased from my memory just yet, but you are on propagation, now more lubricious comments about Luke or I'm making an appointment tomorrow.'

Lorelai's smile could practically be seen over the line "Empty threats, you know you would be lost without me, who would be your love guru, your psychic hotline for prognostication of the future of your not-relationship."

"Keep talking and I might just take my chances. Bye mom.'

"Bye R---" the last word was garble by what Rory was sure was a French fry, she rolled her eyes before she hung up and then laid there staring out of the windows into the dark snow covered landscape for a long time, her mom's words echoing. At last she slept, the exhausted and surprisingly dreamless slumber of one at who has reached a critical turn in the path. It was amazing the clarity that came with resolution.

Logan Huntzberger was perturbed, or maybe tormented would be the right word. This was not a state of being that Logan particularly enjoyed, so this made him understandably edgy. It was Finn that had pointed out this particular form of snappiness much to Logan's chagrin over dinner. Although in a characteristically Finn manner it came out more a sly allusion to said behavior than an outright accusation of said taboo. He leaned across the table with a false tone of understanding and patted Logan sadly on the shoulder "She's driving you crazy isn't she?"

Logan sniffed and bit into his sandwich. "I'm quite sure I haven't the faintest idea what nonsense you are babbling about now."

Finn leaned back with a triumphant look that seemed to claim that Logan hade somehow just proven whatever inane claim he was making about Logan's current problems with the girl who should not be mentioned while he was stewing.

"This one is good."

Logan snorted around a bite of sandwich and rolled his eyes. "As amusing as you can be when you are trying to be all cryptic and wise I think you are off the mark with whatever comment I assume you are trying to make about my relationship with Rory. Things are going well."

Finn nodded as if assimilating this information and tipped back in his chair until he was staring up at the ceiling, hands behind his head in a contemplative pose. "Good, good, I'm glad to know things are just hunky dory in fantasy land, now I can worry my pretty little head about more pressing matters, like say, where shall I invite the newest object of my adoration to go to dinner with me, or shall I just skip the dinner invitation and head straight for drinks with an option for a little hanky panky." He contemplated for several long drawn out moments of silence.

Logan finally sighed in resignation "Okay, lets say I am interested in your analysis of the current climate, what exactly would that analysis be?"

"I fear I have barely made it in time. Clearly my friend you are in dire need of an intervention. She has you buffaloed. You thought you won, that you had somehow outsmarted her or outmaneuvered her into giving you exactly what you asked for and now you are even more tied up knots that you were before. She gave you what you thought you wanted, you spend every morning in her divine company speaking books and bizarre references and setting your little heart all a pitter pattering and then nothing, no forward progress, just friends with a little kissing on the side and while that's all great, it irks you, it irks you that it breaks your pattern and it irks you that you don't see a way out of this neat little catch 22 you have built yourself."

Logan crossed his arms in annoyance and his voice was tinged with just the slightest touch of nasty defensiveness "Has your weekly diversion into the land of the funny farm suddenly convinced you that you are Dear Abby?"

Finn tilted his head for a moment in reflection "You know I have always thought that nice rubber room could be quite entertaining, kind of like a 3D trampoline."

"I'll call the nut house immediately and provide you with your own little playroom."

Finn looked wounded, as only Finn could. "Sarcasm is no way to repay a friend who only wants what is best for you. I do so hate to see you in pain, whimpering in the corner." he placed a melodramatic hand to his chest "Don't hate me because I care."

At Logan's derisively skeptical look he gave a harrumph and tilted back in his chair again. "Fine Oscar the Grouch, I'll give you my advice but only because self pity really doesn't suit you and the sight of you licking your wounds at the dinner table is enough to ruin even my appetite. You are seriously killing my enjoyment of the whole torturing the love struck game. So here it is, take it or leave. Ask the girl out.'

"What?" Logan's expression cast a substantial shadow of doubt on the state of Finn's mental well being, since Finn was all but immune to this whole you might need the men in white coats look he sailed right past it and spoke in a condescendingly molasses slow voice that you might use with someone who has just disembarked from the slow bus and you suspect may be the king of the idiots. He clearly enunciated each word "Ask her on a date." Then he counted on his fingers "Five syllables, something even a genius like you should be able to grasp."

Logan's voice had shifted to perplexed "But I have asked her out. I have invited her to two LDB events and have spent the last two weeks having coffee with her every morning.'

Finn rolled his eyes "Not an excuse to spend time with her you dimwit, a date,. You know the concept, age old ritual of boy pretending to be all sappy and romantic, flowers, chocolate, expensive dinner, looking at the girl all googly eyed until she is so enamored of your angelic alter ego that she will agree to go anywhere with you, even back to your bedroom. Come on Casanova, you used to be a whiz at this stuff, I think Woodward must have some sort of charm debilitating stun gun that she zaps you with every time she sees you because your circuits are completely fried. The end of an era really, perhaps we should have a funeral for your charm and lay it to rest with the respect it deserves. Anyway, that is another subject for another tragic day.'

He looked at Logan's face and sighed "Seriously Sherlock how many times do I have to explain this? Nothing that the two of you have done actually qualifies as a date in girl world." He ticked the examples off on his fingers "She went on the first LDB event for a story, she went on the scavenger hunt half for a story and half to fulfill some crazy deal you two made, anything that happened during the event is purely secondary to the reason for the initial invitation. She has agreed to your whole get to know each other plan but the coffee dates were arranged prior to that agreement due to another of your brilliant dares. This isn't the kind of girl you have a one nightstand with; this is the type of girl you woo. Now I personally am a strong proponent of one night stands, if more people participated in them.... well there would be more girls to choose from which is never a bad thing in Finn land, however, if ever there was girl that would be worth giving up a scoundrel's promiscuous ways it would be Rory. Sadly for the rest of mankind she seems to prefer you over her infinite wealth of more suitable choices, so she must see something redeeming in you that somehow escapes the rest of us. My humble suggestion, if you want to date this girl then ask her on a date, and not just the kind of date that you would take one of your high-class arm charms on, no martinis and flashy dance clubs. Take her someplace quirky, like her. "

Logan considered for a long silent moment and despite the slight shudder in the fabric of the universe he had to admit, if only to himself, Finn was right. God, why was it that Rory seemed to turn him into a bumbling idiot he was usually so good at this whole romancing part. Although he thought that might be exactly the problem, Rory didn't seem to respond to normal "romancing", she wanted him to be himself, the real Logan, and he resisted that at some fundamental cellular level. Usually if his relationships even lasted this long by this point they were on the wane. He wasn't quite sure what to do with a girl like Rory, a girl that intrigued him more with every minute that he spent with her. She was so far off the beaten path of his previous relationships that he was pretty much wandering in the woods right now completely without a compass or any clue which direction led to the road he was looking for. She was like some kind of addiction, the more time he spent with her the more time he wanted to spend with her, a vicious and unheard of cycle in the carefree life of Logan Huntzberger. Did he want to date her? Did he want to commit to one girl like that?

The answer crashed through his enfeebled brain and was an unequivocal yes. He rose to his feet with new resolve. Time to break out the strategy books and plan a new attack.

He patted Finn hard on one shoulder as he passed "Thanks Finn."

He chuckled to himself as he heard the crash of Finn's chair behind him as he unbalanced and toppled to the ground and the grumbled curse "That's the last time I help you Huntzberger, you are on your own and I am going to laugh when you fall on your ass.'

The next morning was going just like clockwork. Logan had it all figured out, the right nuance, the edge of challenge, the perfect intonation and just the hint of something more to come, he would back her neatly into a verbal corner, and she, the possessor of the Gilmore pride which he had already seen in action would never be able to back down. There was no way she could turn him down. It was a perfect plan.

The day started out with a routine that in a remarkably short time had become formulaic, whoever arrived first ordered coffee and pastries and claimed their customary seats, heaven help the unlucky intruder who dared to snag them if they were a bit late, Rory herself had intimidated a poor young thing out of one on Tuesday with a rather ill tempered glare and an accidental spilling of coffee. The other member of the intrepid pair would then arrive and they would settle in for the daily grind, there was the usual shtick regarding who got to read the comics page first, a few irritable grunts from Rory before the caffeine started to kick in and then they would lapse into what both secretly considered to be one of the best parts of the day, the peaceful silence punctuated only by the sound of coffee being sipped and pages being turned. This day was no different. Logan had the spread prepared by now having learned that one scone per person was clearly no where near adequate, especially if he planned on actually eating any of it himself. Rory was no pushover when it came to protecting her share of the food and in some cases his share as well and she was a dangerous as a mother bear with her cubs on scone day. She trudged in this fine Friday with a downtrodden look that so often represented the end of a long week at the grindstone. Not surprisingly she looked adorable and pissy. He knew she had a paper due today which he had quickly learned led to exponentially increased caffeine consumption and many grumbled disparaging remarks. Best to be well prepared for such an onslaught so today he had planned ahead and ordered accordingly. No one could accuse him of being a slouch when it came to self-defense. She pulled of her coat, shook some errant clumps of snow from her boots and then collapsed into her chair grabbing at the hot cup of coffee nearest her and taking a dip draught of the liquid as if she were it were the very antidote that was standing between her and the gates to the underworld.

He quirked and eyebrow "Bad night?"

She took another long drink "What was your first clue?"

He gestured towards her scowl "Well, that's not exactly a happy TGIF kind of smile and you look a little like I imagine that death warmed over might look."

She drained the first cup of coffee and grabbed for the second one. "I hope you realize that this was only the first round."

'Hey, I would never accuse you of being a cheap date, I am seriously considering asking my father to invest in coffee stocks because I am sure that between you and your mother you are seriously depleting the world's coffee resources on nearly a daily basis. I think poor Simon has had to start ordering double the inventory since you started coming here."

"Funny, speaking of which where are the comics? I definitely deserve to read them first today."

"Well princess, since I, as always, am your loyal servant I had already made that executive decision and had quite thoughtfully placed them on your throne. Unfortunately you were in such a rush to commence your defamation of my fine character that you are now sitting on poor Opus."

With obvious ill humor she stood to retrieve the slightly mangled comics. "Well how was I to know that today would be the day you suddenly decide to be all conciliatory and altruistic" She narrowed her eyes at him "Why are you being all Mr. Rogersy anyway?"

"Mr. Rogersy? I am sorry but I am going to have to challenge that one. I may not use the Oxford English Dictionary as bedtime reading but I am pretty sure that the last time I checked Mr. Rogersy was nowhere to be found in that particular bible of yours. Besides, what is so suspicious about a guy being pleasant and trying to make a tough morning a little easier for a friend?"

Her eyes pretty much reduced him to ashes with a look that could only be read as utter repudiation of his claims of piety "Sure, you are a saint and I am the Duchess of York."

He raised an eyebrow "Really? You've lost weight."

She seemed to be considering the best object to fling at him in her fit of pique so he wisely subsided thanking his guardian angels that it was against her own peculiar beliefs to throw coffee, unless under dire threat of attack.

He waved a napkin in a sign for truce. "Lets call a cease fire shall we?"

"Fine, but only because I haven't the energy for the proper tongue lashing you deserve."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively "Calm down and have another cup of coffee and I promise a rain check on that whole tongue lashing thing."

He settled back in his chair and pushed his glasses up on his nose and began to peruse the front-page headlines. He could see Rory sulking out of the corner of his eye and didn't miss the look of defiance on her face when she reached over and snatched his scone in retribution. Finally she settled into a comfortable position and took up what he thought of as her reading trance, eyes focused, one strand of hair worried beneath her teeth and her mind blind and deaf to the world around her, he figured the building could fall into rubble around her and she wouldn't even notice when she was in this mode. In her mind he had no doubt she was in the doghouse with Snoopy or running across fields of daisies with Bill the Cat. She relaxed visibly as she became engrossed and unconsciously let out an occasional giggle or snort of laughter. She was a fascination to watch when she was like this and too often in the past days he had found himself entranced for moments of time. Caught by the play of emotion over her features. This suddenly brought to mind his purpose for today. He sipped his coffee slowly as he worked out the perfect opening feint in his little proposition. He shook his head in exasperation after a moment, what was wrong with him? He remembered the first time he had asked a girl out and it had probably been on the playground when he was about four, flirting, charm, sweeping a girl off her feet, these skills he had considered practically second nature, requiring no more thought than breathing or having your heart beat or putting one foot in front of the other when you walked, until he met Rory and then all of a sudden it was like he was back on the bike with the training wheels and kept losing his balance. No more. He snapped his paper shut with loud thwack. The time for hesitation was past, they had been caught in this quicksand for two weeks and he was ready for a change. This battle wasn't won by timid, it was won by those who persevered, who took no prisoners and never quit the field until the battle was won or they died fighting for the cause. He turned to Rory with a nearly grim smile and to his surprise she was already watching him with keen eyes.

His brow furrowed in confusion when he saw her hands twisted in her lap, a sure sign that she was nervous about something. He met her eyes again and she blurted out the sentence that had obviously been on her mind "Do you want to go out sometime? " she stumbled a bit when his expression took on the stunned arrangement of someone who has just been that a giant comet was about to hit the Earth "I mean I like the coffee shop but I just thought that maybe we could go watch a movie or get dinner or something." He looked stupefied and she was starting to feel a little insulted "never mind, forget I said anything, we can just keep coming here and drinking coffee every day until the obligatory month is up and then I will be out of your hair for good.'

Logan snapped his mouth shut and tried quickly to rectify the damage that his reaction had engendered. He should have been exultant that she was the one suggesting a date outside of the coffee shop but it had come so out of left field that he had been completely unprepared for her stealing his thunder. He backtracked hurriedly "No, its a good idea, I was just surprised because it was kind of out of the blue."

She crossed her arms in irritation in full defensive mode now that he had so rudely rebuffed her attempt to move on to the next step. "No need to conjure up an elaborate brush off, I think your bottom lip hitting the floor was pretty much as eloquent an answer as I've seen. I don't need any pretty excuses."

Logan rolled his eyes "Now you are just being ridiculous, it just took me by surprise because I was about to ask you the exact same thing."

Rory glanced sideways at him but seemed reluctant to accept his rationalization "Oh really, that's convenient isn't it, that's so like you Huntzberger, I say it and then you claim the credit for the idea. That's rich."

He laughed a little at this, where had he gone so wrong, he wondered for a split second whether Finn had a hand in this turning of the table. "Look Ace, let's start this conversation over shall we? You ask me out and I will be properly excited and all will be well."

Rory shook her head stubbornly "Nope, sorry I already tried that.... your turn Mr. Sensitive."

Logan wracked his brains for a way to erase his stupid reaction. "Okay let's rewind. I was reading the paper, I set down the paper and then I looked at you. Here is how the conversation should have gone. " He turned to face her fully with a winning smile "My dear Ace, as lovely as these morning confabs have been I was thinking that perhaps we should expand our horizons past the narrow walls of this fine literary establishment, you know, see the world maybe visit a restaurant or a movie theater."

She snorted but gave him another little half glance "Expand our horizons, that's the best that you could come up with? Did you Don Juan charmometer have a little writer's block?"

He pursed his lips but gallantly continued, "I would greatly enjoy the pleasure of your charming company. How about tonight? I know this lovely little Indian place that would be right up your alley."

She cast a considering look in his direction and she was tempted at his offer, unfortunately she had Friday night dinner to go to tonight and she had no doubt that her grandmother would flog her verbally trying to pry the reason out of her if she tried to come up with a lame excuse at the late a juncture and the last thing she wanted was to tell her grandmother the truth about Logan, things were going so well and Emily Gilmore's brand of meddling was sure to ruin everything and she definitely wasn't ready to invite him to Friday night dinner, that who inviting a boy to dinner thing had never gone all that well for her.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and felt a little shiver up her spine as she saw Logan's caramel eyes drop instantly to her mouth and he licked his lips, she relented, some battles weren't really worth fighting. "I can't tonight, I have a previous family engagement but how about tomorrow night, I hear there is a great old film festival in town."

He flashed her a gorgeous smile that made her heart trip over itself in its speedy rhythm and her breath halted for an instant when he grabbed her hand and pulled it towards him. "You my dear Ace are worth the wait.'

She rose from the chair still a little flustered as his eyes held hers with the promise of more to come. Her words came out in a breathy rush. "I have to miss our coffee date tomorrow though because I am spending the night in Stars Hollow. How about we meet outside my dorm at 6:30 tomorrow night.'

He parried, back on solid footing at last and with his heart soaring at the possibilities "How about I pick you up at your door at 6:30 sharp.'

She smiled and the smile lit her eyes a brilliant blue "You do know that means you will be subject to the unforgiving commentary of Paris Gellar?"

He turned her hand over and placed a kiss on the inside of her palm "For you I would risk the fires of hell. I'm sure I won't even feel the daggers.'

She shook her head and laughed, "You really are a silver-tongued scoundrel aren't you?"

He winked at her before finally releasing her hand "Today I am a lucky scoundrel."

On impulse she bent and pushed him against the chair back as she lowered her mouth towards his, her voice came out a soft whisper that tickled his lips "Do you think if you kiss a scoundrel they turn into a prince?"

"Nah, but then princes are kind of overrated in my opinion. Scoundrels are much better kissers.' He smiled and then closed the gap pulling her down towards him as he kissed her into breathlessness. They were lost in moment, the anticipation and the rising passion enough to sweep them away on a tide of emotion. Finally a dim thought floated to the surface in Logan's besotted mind and he pushed her gently up and away from him. "Don't you have a paper to turn in?"

Her eyes were dazed and for a split second they were blind to the world that swirled around them and then she inhaled deeply. She put hand her fingertips to her mouth and then placed them on his lips as if passing a kiss "Until tomorrow then my charming rogue."


	33. Variations on a Theme

There was a long pause and then two gusty sighs of relief as the door swung shut behind Rory and Lorelai. They had survived another uneventful Friday night dinner; of course, uneventful in this context was an extremely euphemistic view of what essentially was a pitched battlefield. For Rory reading between the lines of the barbed remarks and snide retorts was less of a hobby than a survival skill.

Lorelai swung an arm around her shoulder and led her towards the cars. "Come on daughter –o-mine you can ride with me. I have to come back into Hartford tomorrow with Sookie to pick out the turkeys for Thanksgiving so we can drop you off then to pick up your car. Besides, frankly after the torture chamber interrogation in there I'm not sure you are in any shape to pilot a moving vehicle. They should have a warning label please do not operate heavy machinery or make any life altering decisions in the wake of dinner at the Gilmore's."

Rory gave her a quieting look and blithely ignored the last half of the comment. "Why do you have to pick out the turkeys this far in advance, aren't they already dead and frozen?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes "Oh, no for the first Thanksgiving at the Dragonfly Inn we can only have the best so we are going to go pick out the LIVE turkeys so that they can get them nice and fat before they have to be whacked over the head and have bread stuffed in them so that you can enjoy their tastiness with gravy and mashed potatoes, I guess that way you can give thanks that on this particular circle of the wheel of life you were not unfortunate enough to be a fine feathered and tasty fowl.'

Rory made a disgusted face "A little too up close and personal with my food if you ask me, I like it in those nice cellophane wrappers with no actual resemblance to its animal f origin, or better yet cooked and on a plate or a bun so I can just pretend that the god being the all knowing and almighty greater being that he or she is got to the seventh day and said in his infinite wisdom, let their be hamburgers. Just promise me you won't name any of them cutesy names because that would be just too Animal Farm for me."

"Tom."

"Like your builder Tom? I'm sure he will take that well."

"Good point, how about Theo?"

"Didn't you date a guy named Theo once?"

Lorelai gave her a puzzled look "I did?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it, right after that guy that looked about twelve and before the guy that liked to fish."

"Oh, right Theo, of course, I liked Theo. Theo owned an ice cream truck."

"Exactly my point, so clearly it would not be appropriate to name the turkey you are planning to eat after a nice man with an ice cream truck, bad karma with the ice cream gods."

Lorelai thought for another long moment, clearly quite serious about finding the perfect name for the unfortunate fowl "How about Terrence?"

"Nope, Paris' life coach is named Terrence and I'm sure she would never forgive me if I burst out laughing every time I saw him because I was picturing him as a turkey."

"Man, this is harder than I thought, who knew we knew so many guys with names that started with T?"

"Maybe we should consider just NOT naming our turkey. I would not survive as a vegetarian."

"Blasphemy." Lorelai said absently still deep in thought. Suddenly she snapped her fingers and beamed a triumphant smile, "I've got it, its perfect, irony at its best."

Rory gave her a horrified look "If you tell me you are naming that turkey Taylor I am checking you into the psych ward right now."

Lorelai gave her an smug look "Fine, I won't tell you. Good to know great minds think alike though."

Rory groaned and slapped her hands over her ears and began humming loudly "I can't hear you."

Lorelai gave a long-suffering sigh "They have just beat all the fun out of you at that mean school of yours."

They climbed into the jeep and there was a moment of silence as they pulled out of the drive and the tires squealed as they made their get away from Rapunzel land.

Rory finally lowered her hands slowly from her ears with a cautious look and made a quick subject change to head off any further conversation about the soon to be condemned Taylor the turkey. "What would you wear to eat Indian food and watch old movies?"

Lorelai shot her a 'have you recently undergone a lobotomy' sort of look "Sweats and slippers." She paused "Is this a trick question?"

"You're right, I should clarify, what would you wear to eat Indian food and watch old movies somewhere other than in your own living room?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Rory knew she was being goaded but played along. "Lets say, hypothetically speaking that it was a first date."

Lorelai nodded solemnly "And would this first date include a cute blonde haired scamp who buys you coffee?

"That would be the hypothetical suitor, yes."

Lorelai nodded "Ah, now that is a very different question indeed." She put a finger to her chin and pretended to be deep in thought "A challenge even for a seasoned fashion guru such as myself, I think we may even have to consult the crystal ball on this one. I need a little more information before I can fully evaluate the complexity of the issue. Are you eating Indian food and then watching an Indian themed movie, like say a classic from Bali wood or Ghandi or City of Hope, although truthfully that might be the wrong movie to watch right after you eat, or are you watching totally unrelated movies? These are important questions."

Lorelai trailed off and glanced at her daughter, curious about what had happened at dinner "Hun, in light of this discussion and before we get into the whole wardrobe discussion I kind of have a question, I thought you liked this Logan character, and obviously you are getting all girly about planning this whole first date thing so I'm curious about why you totally panicked when the name of your fine escort slipped from your grandmother's lips tonight. You told them you were dating this guy weeks ago, so it was natural that it was going to come up again."

Rory looked out the window remembering the uncomfortable moment "I knew the whole Logan thing would probably come up but I wasn't really planning on mentioning the date. Then she put me on the spot and I figured that was the quickest way to get you two away from each other's throats, after that last comment about holding the next DAR meeting at the Dragonfly I thought you were going to leap across the table and stab her in the throat with your fork. "

Lorelai sniffed haughtily "I probably would have only used my spoon. Besides now it's your problem, I would count yourself extremely lucky, like you should go to Vegas and bet a million bucks lucky if she isn't ordering the wedding invitations as we speak. "

Rory sighed "Come on mom she isn't that bad."

The head shake was pitying "Whatever you say Snow White, my only word of advice, if she calls and asks for Logan's middle name hang up and run, like to Tibet. "

"It's not that I don't want her to know about the relationship, I mean she already knew about it before it even was a relationship and I know at some point if things go anywhere that I will have to invite him to Friday night dinner or some other re-meeting type of ritual. I guess I just panicked at the idea of grandma meddling in something that has been going so well. I haven't even had time to mess it up myself."

"I hear ya sister." Lorelai pounded on the steering wheel for emphasis.

"I will tell her all about the date if it goes well, but I kind of wanted to actually do the whole first date thing before deconstructing it. Besides, you know how grandma gets when she thinks there is some good gossip, like a terrier chasing a rat." Rory shuddered.

Lorelai snorted with laughter "A terrier with a rat, god it would be priceless to see her face if you ever repeated that particularly charming analogy to her. I do agree with you though her OCD tendencies when it comes to prying information out of the unwilling are certainly cause enough for the Thumper face."

Rory's eyebrows drew together in confusion "Thumper face? What happened to Bambi face?"

Lorelai shrugged as she made a turn onto the highway "I got to thinking the other day and it seems kind of unfair to all the other woodland creatures that Bambi is always the one that everyone remembers, always hogging the spotlight, even got the movie named after him. Animal favoritism at its ugliest. It must be stopped."

Rory rolled her eyes "Okay sister suffragette, just seems a little weird that you started with the bunny. Bunnies get quite a lot of press actually, I wouldn't exactly say that they are the neglected minority if you examine the evidence you will note that there are quite a lot of famous rabbits; Peter Rabbit, The Velveteen Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Rabbit from the Hundred Acre Wood, Bugs Bunny, the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Brer Rabbit, magicians are always pulling white rabbits out of hats. There is a Rabbit that sells breakfast cereal and the Easter Bunny even got his own holiday. I'm mean they even had bunny martyr in Fatal Attraction, the only bad one in the bunch that I can think of is the attack rabbit in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. The media has practically sainted them. Now if you really want to take up a cause you should support snakes or cows or blackbirds, they always get a bad rap."

Lorelai had to stop laughing long enough to turn off the highway "I don't think I want to know what brought on the vitriolic anti-bunny rant. Can I call you Flower without a monologue on Pepe le Pue?"

"A skunk? You are nicknaming your only child after a skunk? You couldn't find anything more insulting like maybe Dumbo or Ursula the Octopus?"

Lorelai pouted "Its a cute skunk.... fine Cruella, do the animal right s people know about you and your hatred of all soft, furry creatures?"

Rory snorted, "What's with you and all the Disney references? Have you been watching the Cartoon Network again?"

Lorelai looked innocently at the ceiling "You can't prove it."

"You are shameless.''

Lorelai's tone was mournful "How could I have raised a child who does not appreciate the comic value of talking pigs, and the life lessons of Wallace and Gromit? If you didn't appear uncannily like me and drink coffee like a fish I might suspect that you had been switched at birth. Now tell me about this super secret date."

" Okay Jiminy Cricket I will tell you all about the planned schedule of events for the date then you will help me pick out the perfect outfit but first we have to get coffee from Luke's or I fear I won't make it through the obligatory costume changes."

"Ah, there is the child that carries my DNA. I already ahead of you though, Luke said he would have coffee and burgers ready for us at exactly 8:30." She pulled the jeep to a stop in front of Luke's as she spoke and jumped out of the driver's seat.

Rory looked at her watch as she followed her "You do realize that its 8:45 right?"

"Right, so we are right on time, besides we might actually have been here at 8:30 if you hadn't dropped the whole I'm going on a dinner date with Logan "Soon to be heir to the fortune" Huntzberger bombshell during dessert. I had a very carefully timed schedule and you blew that all to hell. You really have to work on that; bombshells are only to be dropped during drinks when absolutely necessary to evade an uncomfortable silence or during the salad course, anything after that only throws the whole timetable off. It was might fortuitous that she already thought you were dating or we might have been reenacting the Spanish Inquisition for the rest of our natural lives and you wouldn't actually get to go to dinner with your prince." Lorelai pushed through the doors with a beaming smile for the baseball cap wearing man behind the counter who just at that moment was pouring coffee into four paper cups.

She plopped down on stool by the counter and assumed a rapt pose with her chin on her clasped hands watching every move of Luke's hands. She batted her eyelashes at him and said in a sugary Southern accent "Why Mr. Danes are those for little old me? You sure know how give a girl the vapors."

Luke rolled his eyes dramatically at the ceiling and waved a perfunctory hello at Rory. "Since you said you would be here at 8:30 I assumed that meant at least 8:45, Caesar is almost done with your burgers." Lorelai cast an adoring glance at him and then leaned over to bump shoulders with Rory and gave her an I told you so kind of wink.

"Actually this time it wasn't my fault. We would have been on time if it had been for Minnie here telling my mother that she was going out with Mickey." She pointed a thumb at Rory.

Luke shared an exasperated look with Rory and said in a stage whisper "Is she referring to Mickey Mouse? Do I even want to know what she is talking about?"

Rory smiled as she played along whispering behind her hand "Not if you value your sanity."

Lorelai pouted and crossed her arms "You know, even without my magical super powers I can hear you." Lorelai turned with an assessing eye to Rory "Okay, I think we need a theme."

Rory gave her a perplexed and slightly frightened look "A theme for what? This isn't my sixth birthday party."

Lorelai waved her hands animatedly "A theme for the outfit, your can't pick the perfect outfit unless you know what the purpose of said outfit is, an outfit must have meaning, it must be designed to create a perfect moment, it is like the stage props that set the scene, you couldn't very well have Snow White eating the poisoned apple in a cave or something, you need a little cottage and the dwarves and the singing birds, you need ambiance.... thus the need for a theme. "

Rory looked a little lost "I need dwarves?"

Lorelai gave her a long-suffering look "Okay lets try this, close your eyes." She put her hands over Rory's eyes to aid in the process "Now picture yourself sitting across the table from Logan and imagine about what you are thinking. Now describe it, is this a sappy Lady and the Tramp eating spaghetti kind of moment we are creating or a gallant Maid Marian being rescued by Robin Hood or a Cinderella dancing with her Prince Charming or a me Tarzan you Jane kind of affair."

Rory was picturing Logan and herself at dinner and in her minds eye there was candlelight and orchestral music and fancy waiters in tuxedos. They were clinking their glasses, talking about inconsequential meaningless things, she was being wined and dined...and it all felt wrong.

Rory's eyes snapped open halfway through visualizing herself across the table from Logan and she could feel the beginnings of a cold sweat. "Oh my god, I can't go on a date with Logan. What was I thinking? We are so good at the coffee shop, we have fun on these crazy LDB outings but once we go on a date I'm just going to be another girl that succumbed to his charms, another conquest. What if he is all smooth and smarmy like he was when I first met him? Then everything will be ruined."

Lorelai patted her on the back sympathetically and shoved a cup of coffee towards her "Okay, okay, slow down, take a breath, and drink some coffee you will fell better. Look, I'm sure that Logan won't see you as a conquest. Your opinion of him has changed since you first me right?"

Rory nodded still feeling anxious "yeah, but what if...."

Lorelai stopped her with a hand "no what ifs. If your opinion has changed then his probably has also, and if the outcome of one little date is going to ruin whatever this thing is between you then maybe there isn't really anything there, you have to find out thought kid, you can't freeze time and you can't just stay in limbo."

Rory stared at the lid of her coffee "I guess you are right. It's just I really want it to be good, I want to be right about him."

Lorelai laid her hand over Rory's "That's what matters kid, if you want to you will make it work, even if the first date isn't the most perfect night in history." She smiled "Probably my fault you had this little freak out anyway, maybe I shouldn't have started with the theme. How about this, we'll just go home and pick out a pair of shoes and work our way up to the whole theme business. Hell, maybe we'll just scrap the whole theme and go rogue, who needs the Rules anyway.

Rory took a sip of her coffee and felt her pulse slow marginally; she climbed of the stool and slung her scarf around her neck. "Let's go."

Lorelai cheered "Grab the coffee Cinderella and lets get this party on the road. Ohh, I know what we need, ICE CREAM." Luke didn't quit manage to hid the smile as they linked arms and sashayed out of the diner.

It was 6:28 p.m. and Rory was in her room trying to meet the land speed record for changing an outfit. Ten minutes ago she had been groomed, coiffed and reading a book on the couch having completed her primping ahead of schedule. The nervous edge was still there but she had successfully tamped it down and had so far not succumbed to the urge to flee. She was determined to beat Paris to the butlering duties and spare Logan the Gellar version of the third degree, it was the least she could do after he had so gallantly taken his life into his hands and offered to pick her up at her door. Everything was going according to plan, and then her mother called. Last night after 5 hours of discarding shoes and rearranging accessories, one showing of Pretty Woman and three pints of ice cream they had finally narrowed it down to two outfits, one a flirty little flowered skirt with a blue cardigan sweater, casual, fun and classy, the other was a pair of black slacks with tight turtle neck sweater in turquoise that made her eyes seem luminous (according to her mother who was only a tad bit biased) and was clearly in the sleek and chic category, this could be worn with her mother's black leather jacket to fine effect. Rory was undecided although she was leaning towards the cosmopolitan black when a tragedy was discovered, the black boots that would perfectly compliment said chic ensemble had been lost or at least were not currently making their location known in her mother's closet, actually one could hardly blame them since Lorelai's closet would probably be considered by most compassionate human beings as a major violation of the Geneva Conventions if there were such a thing for apparel. Thus the woeful decision had been made to eliminate said urbane outfit from the running.

Then ten minutes ago the ringing phone had jarred the peaceful stillness of a precise time schedule. The first words on the other end of the line were cryptic "The alternates are under the monkey."

Rory pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it strangely before putting it back to her ear, this type of interruption did not bode well for her carefully planned predate itinerary "The banana has the purse." She answered in equally cryptic speak.

There was a pause on the other end "huh?"

"I assumed that we are playing some sort of cryptic spy game and speaking in some bizarre code known only to Lorelai Gilmore.'

Her mom regrouped "Oh, good one, intriguing idea, the whole code thing, too bad I didn't think of that a long time ago, then I could say insulting things about people and they would never know it."

Rory scoffed "People's knowledge of what you are saying has never stopped you before."

"Good point, but we might get a lot less dirty looks from people." Silence followed and now Rory was taping her foot in impatience and looking at her watch again.

"So, mom, you called for a good reason ten minutes before Logan is supposed to arrive?"

'Oh, right, sorry, you sidetracked me with that whole code thing. I was trying to speak in shorthand because I know you only have ten minutes before the man of the hour arrives. I was brainwashed, fed secret subliminal messages by that evil mastermind the Mouse."

"You would be referring to Mickey Mouse I assume?"

"Who else, I'm telling you its all part of their plot to achieve world domination, corrupting the today's youth. I mean look at what happened to all those cute little mouseketeers, now they are off marrying people in Las Vegas and stripping for Playboy, it's a conspiracy I tell you.

Now it was Rory's turn to be confused "Are you actually speaking English?"

"Go look under the monkey lamp for a pair of black shoes. Look, I'll explain later, suffice it to say that after a rather enlightening conversation with Miss Patty and Kirk you should trust mommy on this one, you definitely would rather be an Audrey than a Britney."

Rory rose from the couch and walked into her bedroom where the monkey lamp resided on a side table near her bed. "Murphy or Spears?"

The shudder was evident even over the phone line "Either."

Rory looked under the edge of the bed and miracles of miracles there was a black-heeled boot that would perfectly match the chic outfit that they had discarded the evening before. She sighed in resignation "I assume that you want me to change my outfit to include the shoes. By the way how did you know it was under the monkey lamp?'

"Well to make a long story short..."

Rory interrupted "Too late."

"Right, anyway, would you believe that I had a psychic vision of them sitting under the monkey?"

"No."

"Well in that case you have to choose between the complete and unabridged version of the story and your handsome prince not seeing you in your underwear when he arrives in....4 minutes and 48 seconds."

Rory flashed a shocked look at the clock and gave a little squeak "You can explain later."

Lorelai chuckled "Wise choice. You'll thank me later. Have fun babe; say hi to big Mac for me. " There was a click on the other end of the line and Rory flung the phone on the bed as she frantically struggled to strip off her clothes and redress. She made it in record time and was down to the last shoe when she realized it was not under the bed with its mate. She began frantically tossing clothes and scattering books in her haste to find the missing shoe. She couldn't change her outfit back now so she had to find that shoe.

She head Paris stalking towards the door and the sing of hinges just as she spied the renegade shoe wedged behind the leg of the bed on the far side. She sighed in defeat. So much for a valiant rescue, she bent and started to wiggle the shoe out from its clever hiding place.

Paris pulled open the door to reveal a well dressed Logan on the other side. Holding a red cellophane wrapped flower and a humongous cup of coffee with a red bow. The sibilant purr that issued from her mouth was warning enough that she was sharpening her claws and preparing to sink them into her unsuspecting prey "Well, well, if it isn't our little desperado kingpin, looking mighty swashbuckling this evening I might add."

Logan gave a sardonic little bow as he evaded the hot glue gun that she was brandishing like a weapon for emphasis "Paris, a delight to see you as always. Practicing for your face-off with Martha Stewart I see."

Paris remained unmoved by this subtle insult as she surveyed his tokens of affection "okay, the coffee I get but isn't the flower kind of trite?"

He smirked and pulled the paper down from one corner "it's made of chocolate."

Paris chuckled despite herself "Not bad, you will definitely get brownie points for that one.... pun intended."

"One can only hope."

She cocked her head to one side and regarded his face closely before giving him a judicious smile "You do get credit for knowing her love of coffee and anything covered in chocolate. What else have you got?"

Logan looked a little surprised at this interrogation "Dinner and a movie, maybe a little coffee night cap."

Paris waved the glue gun at him again "Ah hah, so you are just trying to get her into bed."

Logan's eyes followed the glue gun warily "What are you the house mother?"

"No, I just don't like to see my friends hurt. I find it irksome to have to clean up the mess."

Logan rolled his eyes "Your concern for Rory is touching, but assure you that my intentions are honorable."

Paris snorted in derision "I didn't even think that word was in your vocabulary."

Logan sighed "Look Paris I don't really care if you despise me, I actually find it rather enjoyable and I have no problem sparring with you just for the sheer amusement of seeing you turn that particularly unflattering shade of purple but you can't intimidate me away from Rory, whether you like it or not I don't plan on leaving anytime soon so you are just going to have to learn to live with it." He had taken a step into her personal space with this challenging declaration but she didn't back down. They stood there for a long frozen moment sizing each other up. Finally Paris took a small step back.

Logan watched as the blonde's eyes took on a little gleam of omniscience and her tone was considering this time "You know skipper, I almost like you, so I'm going to give you a little free advice. " she crooked her finger for him to lean closer "Always keep her off balance."

Logan straightened with a slightly perplexed look on his face "What do you mean?"

Paris repeated the words solemnly and slowly as if speaking to the village idiot "Always keep her off balance. Look Einstein, I don't have time to spell this out for your word for word so here so the Cliffs notes version. Gilmore is a phantasm, you may think she is the All American sweetheart but she is a lot more complicated than that and if you underestimate her you will lose her, don't go for trite, don't do what ever it is that you do with every other blue blood bimbo you have ever bedded, she's different and the second you forget that you lose."

His eyebrow's arched in surprise "Not to say that I haven't already figured this out on my own but may I ask why you are telling me this? I thought you considered me an anathema and I don't think that animosity is too strong a word for your previous tone towards me. Why the change of, well I would say heart but I'm not sure that applies here?"

Paris smiled, this time it was a mere quirk of the lips "I don't abhor you, that's better than I can say for most of your compatriots and I think that you might be the first guy I've seen come after Rory who actually has a chance of figuring out what she is, farm boy didn't stand a chance with community college IQ and the James Dean wannabe was too caught up in his own rebellion to get it. Most of the other poor bastards all you can do is shake your head in lament and wish for a mercifully quick ending to their infatuation. You.... well if I were a gambling woman I might bet on you."

Rory, having finally managed to wrangle the uncooperative shoe onto her foot and taken the quick opportunity to straighten her hair after the whirlwind wardrobe switch emerged form her room and narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the sight of Logan and Paris with their heads together talking in low voices. She approached warily and looked back and forth between the two that now looked for the entire world like two old friends catching up on the news.

Paris gave Logan what could almost be construed as a friendly smile and a little wave as she turned on her heel and headed for her bedroom "You two crazy kids have a good time tonight."

Logan waved back as if this were not an action that should only accompany the arrival of subzero temperatures in Hell and then turned to Rory with an approving eye. He looked her over from head to toe and gave a low appreciative whistle "You clean up nice Gilmore, and without the help of the costume department, impressive."

Rory watched Paris until the door to her bedroom closed obscuring her view and then she rounded on Logan. "Excuse me, lets hold off on the segue into charming flattery shall we, what was that that I just interrupted between you and Paris?"

Logan gave her a look that implied that she was seriously delusional "We were just having a nice little chat. That should make you happy, Paris and I getting along."

Rory's eyes narrowed further "Excuse me? A nice chat? With Paris? Should I be checking the news for flying swine reports?"

"Look Ace, Paris was just offering me a bit of friendly if unsolicited advice. Is it so impossible to believe that my charm could melt even the infamous icy exterior of Gellar the Glacier?"

"Yes, it is highly improbable." She was staring at Paris' door again "Paris isn't chummy with, well anyone, she doesn't give friendly advice, she would consider it an insult to be called amicable and in her vocabulary nice is a four letter word."

"Nice is a four letter word in most people's dictionary last time I checked."

Rory sent him a scornful look and her hands went to her hips just as her eyes landed on the coffee in his hands and all else was forgotten. Her mother would have considered it a travesty that it wasn't the first thing she noticed. "Is that for me?" her tone was a bit on the avaricious side now.

Logan chuckled as he presented her with the gift "A small token of my affections, I understand it is customary on these sorts of occasions."

"You are forgiven." Rory grabbed the coffee "Wait, I thought it was traditionally flowers and chocolate for a first date?"

Logan nodded seriously before producing the red wrapped flower "Don't worry I've got that covered too. "

She grasped the flower and brought it to her nose for a sniff, assuming it was a rose, when the heady sweet scent of chocolate met her nostrils she looked momentarily shocked and then she began to laugh as she unwrapped the flower "A chocolate rose, now that is clever." She took a small bite amidst the chuckles and nodded appreciatively with her mout full. "mmm, good."

He smiled thoroughly enjoying her amusement at his gift. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as their eyes met. He felt a little tightness in his gut as the urge to kiss registered in his consciousness. He took a step closer to her "I'm glad you like it. Now can we get back to the flattery and charming part? You do look quite smashing by the way, sort of Lara Croft meets Holly Golightly." He gave her a crooked smile and placed a light kiss on her chocolate scented lips.

She smiled in return relaxing and enjoying the easy camaraderie between them and the always present current of heat that lay just underneath like the hot bubbling of lava beneath the deceptively calm surface of a volcano. Her smile was teasing as she tilted her face up to his. "Hey, isn't the flattery supposed to come before the kissing?"

He grinned, "Hey, I tried, you wanted to talk about your roommate instead. You didn't even notice my dashing accoutrement." He put his arms out to both sides and did a little turn to display the natty garb, Rory had to admit he looked mouthwatering in black slacks and sweater with a dark brown sport coat.

"Sorry for the oversight." She quipped with admiration in her eyes as she scanned him from head to toe. "You are looking rather dapper in your black preppie gone bad outfit." She gave him a playful licentious look.

He looked slightly crestfallen "Dapper? Damn I was going for an 'I'm too sexy for this hallway' look, I'm going to have a little talk with my fashion consultant."

Rory gave him a playful smile, now completely relaxed "Fashion consultant? Let me guess, Finn?"

His look was mournful "Our first date and already I have no secrets. What can I say, for a straight guy Finn has a suspiciously good eye for fashion."

"So, I've noticed. Well, in the interest of complete disclosure I will admit that I had a little fashion advice of my own."

"Who Paris?"

Rory looked appalled "Not in this lifetime, thanks, I don't usually like to dress like my grandmother for my dates. No, it was a committee effort, my mother and I and apparently a little last minute consultation with Miss Patty and Kirk. I'll have you know that a great deal or junk food, coffee and a lengthy and rather painful discussion of the merits of theme in picking the correct apparel went into this selection." She pointed a finger at his chest "So you had better appreciate it mister."

Logan was enjoying her, enjoying her company more with each moment and suddenly he was anxious to get the evening's plans rolling, to see where this night might lead them. Logan grabbed her pointing finger and drew it to his lips, his voice was low and throaty and suddenly the air between them was thick and syrupy, as the heat in his eyes seemed to seep right through her skin and heat the blood beneath. "I do." Her smile was slow and sweet and totally unfeigned.

He doubted she even knew the power of that smile, the way that languorous sensuality slid right through him clean as a knife and left him feeling weak in a completely foreign and yet exhilarating manner. This was going to be some night and at this rate they might not even make it out of her doorway.

"Shall we, milady?"

He held out his arm to her and she took it feeling the thrill of racing blood, the excited trip of the heart and thought about the excitement of the unknown. So far this night had all the elements of a rousing success. As they walked towards the parking lot she took a sip of her coffee and then generously offered him a bite of her chocolate flower when they stopped by a car and he opened the door of the sleek little black Porsche for her. Without a thought she reached up to brush a fleck of chocolate from where it stuck to his bottom lip a shiver coursed through him as her fingers touched the soft sensitive skin of his lip and her eyes met his in recognition of the effect that they had on each other. Her worries and concerns and nervous worst-case scenarios from the night before vanished into thin air as she watched him take a ragged breath and she thought idly about the meaning of first dates, of chocolate flowers and coffee bouquets.

Her voice was a little husky when she spoke "So, if red roses are for passion and white roses are for love, what exactly does a chocolate rose symbolize?"

The smile that slowly, sensuously curved his lips made her insides quiver as he leaned towards her and stopped a hairsbreadth from her left earlobe. His warm breath was ticklish "I think you'll just have to wait and see."


	34. The Music of the Night

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333The car slid sinuously down the strip of road winding like a dark ribbon in front of them. The air was redolent with the heady scent of coffee. Rory leaned her head back on the butter soft leather of the seat and closed her eyes with a sigh of pure bliss. "Have I told you that you are a god?" Her words were a bit garbled between sips of coffee that bordered on superb.

Logan cast her an amused look "Only about 5 times since you saw the other three cups of coffee, but don't let that stop you, one can hardly tire of hearing adulation. The glowing review on the seat warmer may have been a bit over the top though."

Rory smiled winningly and her voice floated through the dark car on a lyrical lilt "It's not often that one of those completely intoxicating moments of satiation occurs, it needs to be celebrated, one should revel in the cloud nine experience, sing the praises of the one responsible for the euphoria, rejoice in the rapture."

Logan shook his head in mock dismay "Rapture, euphoria, intoxication, that's a lot of superlatives for a car ride and some coffee."

She liked the way his voice seemed sort of warm and husky issuing out of the shadowed interior of the car. "What can I say we Gilmore's tend to wax poetic at the most nonsensical of things. You forgot the chocolate flower and the seat warmers though, there is nothing a Gilmore loves more than chocolate, coffee and romance, add that to a warm butt on a cold night and you do the math, obviously we have entered the Gilmore version of Shangri la."

"More like Hog Heaven if you ask me, isn't gluttony one of the seven deadly sins?"

"I wouldn't throw stones my hedonistic friend, if I remember correctly you are an accessory to gluttony having so kindly provided for this little Utopian existence in your Porsche. "

"I'm pretty sure Thomas More just rolled in his grave."

"Be that as it may if I'm going to Hades for drinking a little coffee then you can't be far behind since you are my enabler."

"I have a plausible defense." His tone implied laughter.

"Do elaborate." he could tell that she was fighting a smile.

"It was self-defense." His tone was a tad smug and she barely stopped an outright laugh.

"Let me get this straight, your plan for exculpation is to claim that you had to provide me with extra coffee out of self-defense? "

"Precisely."

"Because I would be threatening you with what exactly?"

"Death by nagging. You forget, I've been watching you suck down coffee like it is some sort of life giving elixir for the past two weeks do you think I would ever dare to bring you only ONE cup of coffee? Not only would you spend the rest of the car ride torturing me to stop for more but I have seen you without adequate caffeine.... and let me tell you poking a hungry crocodile is more fun."

"This gets better and better, now you are comparing me to an angry, scaly reptile?" her arms were crossed but he suspected it was more to contain the laughter.

"You two quarts low on caffeine is a sight that would strike terror in the hearts of far better men than I."

"So you opted for self preservation?" When she saw his almost imperceptible nod she laughed "Good, you are a fast learner. Now since you were so kind as to provide this lovely ambiance for our car ride I think it only right that I contribute something to making this a memorable evening."

His voice took on a tinge of wariness "Being the quick learner that I am I have become leery of that particular tone."

"Good, then this is the perfect opportunity to work on your trust issues. Don't worry, I promise it won't hurt... much." She patted him soothingly on the leg and then began to pull things out of a bag that had at first glance appeard to be a small purse but now seemed to be impersonating Mary Poppin's magical carpetbag. He flicked his eyes towards her in between glances out the window of the car. Out came a lip gloss and a small mirror both normal enough date paraphernalia, then the unexpected began to appear, a rather large book, three CD jewel cases, a couple of packages of red vines and a small digital camera. She could all but sense the quirked eyebrow and arched an admonishing look in his direction. "What, you thought you were the only one who came prepared?"

His tone was curious "Are we doing a documentary that I am unaware of or are you just preparing for a tabloid opportunity?"

"I am prepared for every eventuality." He could tell she was enjoying the chance to be cryptic, obviously paying him back for the chocolate flower remark earlier.

"Do you care to elaborate on the eventualities? Will I, for example, be needing my passport or my library card?"

Her voice was overtly shocked "You have a library card, will wonders never cease?"

"Now who is auditioning for the Last Comic Standing?" his voice was biting. "You were describing these contingency plans of yours."

She launched in with obvious relish "The red vines are in case of emergency..."

"Just for my own edification what exactly would a red vine emergency entail?"

She gave an exasperated sigh "An old movie festival that doesn't have red vines of course."

He sighed with what sounded like exaggerated relief "Oh good, I was envisioning something out of a MacGyver episode like having too build a rope from snack foods to escape from a building being held hostage by terrorists."

She paused and cocked her head at him "Oh, no I wouldn't waste red vines in such a blasphemous way, that's what the duct tape is for."

"You have duct tape in there?"

She seemed to find this question extremely hilarious "Now who is being silly? Obviously the duct tape would never fit in this purse."

"Of course not." He nodded as if this were perfectly reasonable.

She continued as if he had never interjected "The camera was a compromise with my mother who accepted it as her stand in and therefore agreed not to accompany us on this date.... trust me you should thank me for that one. "

"Duly noted."

"The book is my own personal version of the emergency parachute, the panacea for any situation that ends with less than stellar success, you'd be surprised how many times I have needed the book life preserver, I never leave home without it, don't take it personally. The CDs are my sound expert, Lane's contribution to the evening's success. We decided that it was probably best not to rely on your choice of music for the evening's entertainment, too much pressure, just think how many first dates have gone dreadfully wrong on the car ride due unfortunate incidents involving the playing of Eminem or Jessica Simpson. "

His tone was slightly injured "I am going to try to ignore the insult to my pride that you think there is even an iota of a chance that you are so bored with my stimulating presence that you might need to resort to reading a book but I do hope it is at least a respectable book and not some bodice ripper novel, if you chose Fabio over me then I would seriously have to reconsider my estimation of your character.

Her voice dripped disdain "I may have to reconsider my estimation of YOUR character due to the mere fact that you can name Fabio. I consider bodice rippers only slightly higher on the literary chain of evolution than Paris Hilton's book and in my opinion that may be the only book ever written that should justifiably be burned and I use the term 'written' in the loosest sense of the word."

"Did you know that at some point sine they were first in published Ulysses, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath and The Catcher in the Rye were all banned or considered for censorship?"

"You are honestly going to defend a book by a slutty socialite about being a slutty socialite?" her voice was on the edge of snappy.

"Just making small talk. Besides, I always say don't bite the hand that feeds you, first amendment rights helped by this Porsche after all and I don't remember any specific clause that precludes slutty socialites from first amendment rights."

"What a paramount example of egalitarian altruism."Her voice was droll.

He tried to sound humble and failed utterly "I try. Now, about that mystery book...."

Her voice lowered slightly and he pictured a faint blush although the dim interior of the car hid it well "Naked by David Sedaris."

His chuckle was delighted "You are a Freudian creature Ace."

"You wish." She grumbled, "If I might give you a word of advice...you might want to take an etiquette refresher course, I think your small talk needs a little brushing up."

He grinned "I'll take it under advisement, but frankly I thought it was going rather smashingly myself, we have only been in the car ten minutes and we have discussed politics, censorship, books, music.... by the way, to add my two cents to that one Jessica Simpson despite her regrettable lack of knowledge about the distinction between chicken and tuna is smoking hot..."

There was a gasp of horror and Rory's hand was clapped over his mouth to stop the incriminating words. "I am going to pretend I did not hear that, one of the regrettable blind spots caused by too much testosterone corroding your brain. It is clear that we are just in time, if we work fast the genius of the Great Tunemaster might still be able to save your soul."

"I have no doubt that I am going to regret asking but, the Great Tunemaster?"

"Lane's super hero identity. Her top-secret mission is to save the innocent victims of the world from the dangerous soul sucking influences of Top 40's music. "

This statement was delivered in a nonchalant voice that had Logan laughing. "You are an odd girl."

He could all but picture the grin "I prefer whimsical, or unique."

"Let me guess, your superhero identity had something to do with words or books, am I right?"

Her tone was arch "Come on don't you know the rules of Justice League, you aren't allowed to just go around telling mere mortals your super secret identity.... have you no respect?"

"Thesaurus girl, dictionary diva?" he guessed with tongue tucked firmly in cheek.

She huffed "Fine, I can see you are going to belabor this but if I ever hear this repeated I will have to kill you myself." She gave him an admonishing look "I was Worder Woman, you know like Wonder Woman only with words.... I was only eight at the time...hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that it is extremely bad form to laugh at your date?"

Her tone had turned ill tempered and he cleared his throat and managed with some effort to suffocate the guffaw. "Okay, as requested I will attempt to ignore the completely irresistible mocking material that you just provided me with and return to the ever fascinating subject of music. I don't' think that Rick Dee is the son of Satan or anything but I will bow to the wisdom of the Great Tunemaster and graciously allow you to make the musical selections for the evening. So what have we got?" he pointed to the CDs splayed in her lap.

She picked them up one by one "Foreplay, Fairy Tale and Dante's 9th Circle. In other words, one for the trip and then one if the night goes well and one if the night is a catastrophe."

His eye roll may not have bee visible but he enjoyed it nonetheless "Wow, you really are prepared for everything. Nice to know you have such faith in my social skills.'

She crossed her arms defiantly "It never hurts to be prepared. If one expects the worst one is rarely disappointed."

"Well, I will certainly try to surpass your expectations then. Well maestro, put one in." he waved a hand at the CD player in the front console then hi tone turned sexy "Start with the Foreplay one, that sounded promising."

Rory rolled her eyes but slid the CD out of its case and into the player. She began to read the list on the back of the CD case as the first chords rippled through the car. "Ride by the Vines, Wheels by Cake, High Speed Soul by Nada Surf, The Passenger by Kings of Convenience, Lets Go by the Jessica Fletchers, Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand.... all excellent choices." Rory was nodding as her eyes skipped down the list and suddenly she stopped abruptly as her eyes landed on the next songs on the list, _Good Girl, Bad Boy, Lucky Girl, Need to Get Some, Lets Get it On, Darts of Pleasure, Wild and Crazy_. She stopped reading when she got to _Can't get Enough of Your Love Baby_ by Barry White. Good god, what was this an Ally McBeal episode? She cursed Lane for her impeccable timing, now was so not the time for a sense of humor, she wondered if Lorelei had put her up to it.

Logan cast a questioning look in her direction at the abrupt silence that was followed by incomprehensible muttering and what appeared to be glowering at the CD case. "Is there a problem Ace?"

Rory avoided looking at him " Problem, no, not so much a problem as a justifiable defense for homicide."

"I'm afraid I am going to need a little more information to form a coherent response to that comment." Now the glower was directed at him and he could practically feel the heat of it scorching the side of his face.

Her voice was petulant "No need to worry your pretty little head about it, I'm just planning my revenge on the artist formerly known as Lane and henceforth to be referred to as the Betrayer, with a capitol B mind you."

He smirked "There must be something really good on that CD because even in this light I would swear that you are a rather becoming shade of crimson right now,"

She crossed her arms in a huff "You are enjoying this aren't you?"

The streetlights bounced off the white of his grin "Immensely but I'm thinking I would enjoy it even more if I saw what was on that CD." He made a grab but she held the CD just out of his reach.

"Uh, uh, I don't think so, not only is it clearly not in my best interested to share the dastardly wit of the girl formerly known as my best friend but you are driving. I won't share with you the gory details about the last guy who got in a car wreck with me in the car but suffice it to say that it is really much better for your health not to break me, my mother gets sort of funny about things like that and she has a memory like an elephant."

His voice echoed the surprise that she was sure would be painted cross his features could she see them clearly "You were in a car accident? With a boy?"

As expected mention of Jess and the ill fated trip for ice cream had taken his attention off the evil CD and her relief made her a bit loose of tongue "Yeah, you see we went to get ice cream and there was a squirrel or something in the road and Jess swerved to avoid it and ended up totaling the car that Dean built for me and breaking my wrist." She snapped her mouth shut as she realized all that she had said.

"Whoa, who is Jess and where was Dean when all this happened? And more to the point, you broke up with a guy who BUILT you a car?"" he felt a little like he was three steps behind in this twisted fairy tale and was always trying to catch up.

"Jess is Luke's nephew and Dean was visiting his grandparents and yes, Dean built me a car and we broke up, although the first time he broke up with me, although I suppose it was my fault because of the whole not saying I love you thing and the second time he also broke up with me, although come to think of it that was sort of my fault to with the whole dance a thon thing and then this last time I think it was sort of mutual. If you add it up though I really never actually broke up with Dean." She nodded as if working out the convoluted details in her mind and then looked out the window at the passing street signs "So is this Indian Restaurant actually in India or do you think we might get there sometime before my stomach begins to digest itself?"

'Good distraction attempt but clearly you can't drop a snarled mess like that story into my lap with all these hints of previous indiscretions and expect me not to ask for more details."

She turned to face him and he could make out the stubborn set of her jaw in the reflected light from the street "From what I've heard of your romantic interludes I wouldn't think that you would be all that eager to discuss past transgressions on our first official date."

He cleared his throat thoughtfully "I'll concede that you may have a point."

"I thought you might."

"I'll stick to safer topics and settle for hearing the rest of the list on that CD."

Her tone was bland "It's admirable that you have goals."

His chuckle had an edge of the wicked "We'll see how long you last when I drive around in circles until you are forthcoming with the details."

She gasped, "You wouldn't."

"Fine, take your chances." There was a moment of silence as he drove and then he put a hand to his lips in mock dismay "Oops, I think I just missed the turn, guess we will just have to take the long way."

Her glare was heated "You are Lucifer."

She could tell he had that Cheshire cat grin from the sardonic lilt in his voice "Keep up the flattery, maybe eventually I will weaken from hunger and you can overcome me with your strength. I wouldn't hold your breath though; I did have a snack an hour ago. Starvation versus a little embarrassment over a CD.... your choice."

She grumbled but then her growling stomach reminded her that she was indeed starving "Fine, you can see it, but only after we get to the restaurant, and you are not allowed to laugh" She stared at him defiantly "and from now on I'm calling you Beelzebub."

"Works for me." His smile was triumphant as he turned a corner and a restaurant appeared in front of them. "Will you look at that, I guess we weren't lost after all."

She growled at him "Mean."

In the lights from the restaurant she could see his smile and as expected it was entirely disingenuous as he held out a hand. She slapped his hand in a parody of a high five. He wiggled his fingers and cocked an eyebrow at her "Foreplay please."

She ignored him and unbuckled her seat belt before deftly tucking the CD in to her jacket pocket and turning to open the car door. "As per our agreement, you may see it when we are inside the restaurant."

He was out of his side of the car and around to her door in a flash, she blinked once as he clasped her hand and helped her out of the seat. He sent her an angelic smile when she gave him a disconcerted look "What's with the Sir Galahad act all of a sudden?"

He leaned towards her and she took a little step backwards to find her self pinned between the car and the open door "Does a guy have to have a good reason to be a gentleman with his beautiful date?"

She held his gaze for a millisecond that seemed to stretch into eternity as she felt her breath stutter in her lungs "Yes.' She forced the word past her dry throat.

"Maybe all the talk of foreplay gave me the urge to kiss you." She sucked in a breath as his eyes went smoldering and dangerous and forgot to exhale as his lips descended towards hers. The kiss was brain sucking, her mind ceased to think; her body was in suspended animation as their lips danced. His hands molded her to him and she felt both their hearts racing in perfect synchronization. They were both gasping for air when he pulled away but somehow he still managed to give her a satisfied little grin "Or maybe I'm just good at multitasking." he backed a few steps away as if expecting retaliation but her brain hadn't quite caught up.

It took him waving the pilfered CD at her before realization dawned and a breath hissed out as her mouth dropped open. "Evil and larcenous."

"My apologies but that was too prime an opportunity to pass up. Not only was that a thoroughly enjoyable diversion but that look on your face is priceless." His grin was gorgeous to behold and it took all her effort to maintain a scowl as he turned and began to saunter towards the restaurant obviously reading the CD cover as he went. She was frozen in place for a minute until she heard a hoot of laughter. She rolled her eyes and stalked after him.

"I thought you weren't going to laugh."

He cast a playful grin "I don't remember agreeing to that but in the spirit of compromise I promise not to laugh.....if you give me a little melodic interpretation of the songs for me." She tried to snatch the CD back but he was too quick and had it tucked in an inside pocket of his jacket before she could get to it.

"A thief and a mocker....great, I'm dating my mother."

"Low blow, you are really a sore loser Ace." He smiled and held out his arm "Alright Ace, since I would like to eat sometime tonight how about a truce....you promise not to call me your mother anymore and maybe I will let you retrieve the CD..." he caught her glare "I mean I will _give_ you the CD." She cocked her head to one side and tapped one foot, he sighed and continued "Okay, what will a ceasefire cost me? Ice cream? Coffee?...Wait, let me guess, both?"

She gave him a saccharine smile "That is a lovely offer, I accept....see how easy that was?"

He rolled his eyes "How gracious and undemanding of you."

"I'm a Gilmore, quality doesn't come without a price. If you want low-maintenance get a robo-girlfriend." She looped her arm through his "Shall we?"

Visions of white coated waiters danced in her head as they climbed the stairs and she wondered what the restaurant would be like, not that she would complain, by now she was hungry enough to eat a horse, preferably a Clydesdale. The gaily-colored building looked like it was an old house that had been renovated to be a restaurant and already she was intrigued by the delicious scents wafting from the kitchen.

He had followed Finn's advice and his own gut instinct and picked a restaurant that was one of his favorites but off the beaten path for a first date when the full court press of wining and dining and name-dropping at trendy hot spots was in progress. Usually the first date was more of a ritual, a societally prescribed preamble to a one night stand, usually he was in a hurry to get it over with. Rory was different, Rory he wanted to savor. He wanted to enjoy every moment....and so far she hadn't disappointed.

Now she was strangely silent as they entered the restaurant and he felt a trickle of unease. The host greeted them at a door and led them almost immediately to a table that was hidden by gauzy curtains in a small alcove. After placing menus in front of them and pouring chai tea into the small porcelain cups in front of them he vanished discreetly. Rory hadn't even glanced at the menu yet and Logan was hard pressed to decide if the indecipherable look on her face was one of awe or of disgust.

Logan shook his head now as he watched her across the table and felt like a first date virgin again, like suddenly he, the virtual world record holder in first date successes was experiencing it all for the first time. Rory was surveying their surroundings with an inscrutable expression gracing her features and Logan felt a little flutter of nerves in his stomach that was truly unsettling. Rory took in the details around her with something that bordered on wonderment. She felt like she had stepped right into the pages of Midnight's Children or The Vine of Desire. The restaurant was decorated in rich intense colors, reds and yellows and purples and the walls were covered with photographs and art. The whole thing had a homey, welcoming air that made you feel as if you had been welcomed into a family's living room and the smell, well the smell made you want to take a bath in curry sauce. Nowhere in evidence were men in penguin suits or crystal and silver place settings. When she turned to face him he was almost afraid to hear what would come out of her mouth next, she glanced around once more and then met his eyes still without cracking a smile, her eyes intense "This place is...."

He interjected almost nervously "Let me guess, not what you expected."

She grabbed his hand across the table in what he knew must be a completely unconscious gesture and now her lips curved into a glowing smile "Actually I was going to say incredible but unexpected works."

That gave his ego a nice little bump and he felt his own lips melt into a smile and he knew he must look like a beaming idiot, but somehow he just didn't care.

"Its exquisite, marvelous, splendid, I feel like I should be wearing a sari."

"Again with the superlatives, laying it on a little thick don't you think?" his grin was back to cocky.

She leaned forward and her voice was hushed "I have to admit I am pleasantly surprised, I was sort of expecting fine china and a haughty maitre de with a wine list that read like something out of Louis IX' cellars."

"I have to admit that wouldn't be far off the mark for my usual dining choices on a first date. I take it you find this preferable?'

"Infinitely." She picked up the menu eagerly and began to read with an enthralled look.

He laughed as he relaxed back into his seat and picked up his menu, apparently there was no need to have worried for a nanosecond that she would love this place as much as he did and they did have superior food. He watched as she studied the menu worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as she clearly struggled with the decision of what to order.

He chuckled and she looked up again. "What's so amusing? This is not a choice to be made lightly or to be rushed you know." She swatted her menu at him and narrowed her eyes in a mock glare "If you aren't careful I'm going to end up ordering the entire second and third pages of the menu, don't laugh at me or there will be dire consequences. "

"I wasn't laughing at you. I was enjoying your, uh, let's say exuberance. I don't think I have ever seen a girl on a first date more excited about the food than staring adoringly into my eyes...its refreshing."

"Good, you are in dire need of a little humility." She closed her menu decisively and laid it neatly in front of her. He could feel her eyes on him as he continued to read the specials on the inside of the flap. After a long moment she tapped on the back of his menu and gave him a pleading look "Are you ready yet? I'm famished and for your own well being I really suggest that you do not wait to see what happens when I pass famished and move on to ravenous...it can get ugly. I may look dainty but I am vicious when I'm hungry."

He nodded and went back to his menu. "As a wise woman once said these decisions can't be rushed.'

She began to tap her fingers impatiently on the table and he quite purposefully debated his choices for a good five minutes more than necessary, just waiting to see how long it took before he actually saw steam shoot out of her ears. Finally and with agonizing slowness folded the menu and laid it on the table. The waiter appeared at his elbow nearly the instant the paper hit the table, obviously having been forewarned by the voracious look in Rory's eyes. He really was having a hell of a good time goading her. Logan waved a gracious hand at Rory in a sign that she should order first. She eagerly began to order and his eyes widened for a second before he coughed to cover a laugh, it appeared that she was planning to make good on her threat. The waiter even looked a little astonished at the order but stoically remained without expression as he turned to Logan "And for you sir."

Logan placed his order and then waited for the waiter to disappear before he turned back to Rory. "Are you planning on feeding everyone who lives in Branford?"

She smiled sweetly "Are you doubting my appetite? " she stuck a finger out and wagged it back and forth at him "You should never doubt a Gilmore when it comes to food consumption, it just makes us stubborn. Besides this is nothing, we once ate four Thanksgiving dinners in one night and still managed to have pie at Luke's for dessert." She sighed in happy memory "It was one of our finest hours." He grabbed her hand from where it hung in the air and brought it down to the tabletop it in a carefully familiar gesture that did not go unnoticed by Rory. He saw the slight flare of her nostrils and the instantaneous stiffening of her shoulders and he sensed that she was close to pulling away. As if he were talking to a skittish horse he kept his voice low and soothing and pushed onward, grasping her hand a fraction tighter.

"If it helps soften the blow then I promise that I will carry you out of the restaurant if necessary, just consider me your personal slave." The words slipped off his tongue before he could stop them, enamored as he was with the small circular motion of her fingertips in his palm.

Her smile went a little impish at the edges "Really? My slave? Now that does have a nice ring to it."

His smiel frayed a bit at the edges "Uh, did I say slave? I don't suppose I could amend that offer of eternal servitude?"

She seemed to be mulling this over "On what grounds?"

He gave her a pitiful look "I wasn't in a coherent state of mind, clearly I was FUI." At her perplexed look he elaborated "Flirting Under the Influence."

She rolled her eyes "Under the influence of what exactly?"

"Pheromones, your glowing smile, your sparkling eyes, your scrumptious looking lips...you name it. Seems unfair to hold a poor inebriated fellow responsible for the a slip of the tongue in that kind of irrational state." He winked at her playfully as she flushed a little at his off hand compliments but that didn't stop her wit.

"Do those lines ever work?" her tone implied patent disbelief.

He chuckled as he sat back in his chair with a lazy smile his fingertips still grazing hers across the table "You'd be surprised Ace, apparently some girls actually fish for compliments like that, spend hours perfecting the glowing smile and the sparkling eyes just to hook a prime specimen such as myself."

She snorted in disgust "I think I may be a different species entirely from that particular creature."

He nodded emphatically "Thank god." She arched an eyebrow at him in surprise and he went on to explain "In my experience any woman who spends more than ten minutes fixing her makeup and shellaquing her hair to the point that it would slice your hand to ribbons were you to dare to touch it then expects you to spend the majority of your dinner conversation complimenting said work of art and spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the ever fascinating subject of lipstick color and whether or not ones purse should be matched to one's shoes. My theory is that it is a direct result of inhaling too many hairspray fumes."

She grinned "Well, sir then you are in luck because I rarely wear lipstick, I usually pick my purse base on what book I am planning to bring....and I almost never match my book to my shoes. To top it off the I believe the last time I shellaqued anything on my person was my debutante ball and I think that was one of their ten commandments 'thou shalt not debut without hair that has been perfectly coiffed and super glued."

He practically choked on the sip of chai that he had just taken "I think my universe may have just shifted on its foundations. You were a debutante? Was it for a grade or a practical joke or something?"

She made an exasperated face "You're a regular Billy Crystal. Is it impossible to believe that I was just dying to dress up in a frilly white dress and parade around with a fan?" she fluttered her eyelashes at him in a mockery of flirtation.

He snorted in clear derision "I think the chances of that being the case rank right up there with the chance of Finn becoming a priest and taking a vow of celibacy. Unless you have recently had a complete personality transplant I can't really see you as the dress up to parade in front of prospective husbands like cattle type of girl. I did see you at a similar shindig not that long ago if I dare remind you and I'll tell you, I've seen wild animals that looked less cornered than you did."

She considered arguing but relented because she knew it would be purely for the sake of obstinacy since he was absolutely right in his analysis. "God, you sound just like my mother, fine you are right, I only did it to make my grandparents happy."

He nodded knowingly "Ah, yes the erstwhile Rory auctioneers, how have they been by the way?"

"Good. Actually, I hope you don't mind but I sort of accidentally told my grandmother about this date last night." She lowered her eyes to fidget with her napkin and he wondered at the sudden shift in the tone of the conversation.

"Why would I mind? I wasn't aware it was a secret, your mom knows all about it right and most the other people in your town?" He looked genuinely confused.

"Well, yes, my mom knows but tats because she is my best friend and the town knows because well they get a little stalkerish if they think you are keeping secrets and frankly after a while being followed around by thirty some odd people trying to look nonchalant starts to get a little tiresome so I've learned just to go with full disclosure."

"I take it the full disclosure policy does not extend to you grandparents. I get that but why all the secrecy, I was under the impression that they thought we were dating weeks ago?" he still looked perplexed and Rory sighed.

"They did, they do I mean, think we are dating that is. It's just that if the real story comes out they are not going to be happy that we lied initially and so I thought there was no point in upsetting them until we knew whether this " she gestured back and forth between them  
"whatever it is between us amounts to anything real and meaningful."

His face was for once expressionless and his tone bland "Your conviction about us is inspiring." He took a sip of his chai and appeared to have let the matter drop but she had learned his mannerisms well enough by now to know the signs of peevishness. His left foot twitched and he suddenly became absorbed with twisting the band of his silver watch around his wrist, it was sort of like a cat flicking its tail in irritation. She watched him for a long moment trying to decide how to fix this unintentional slight. Finally she grabbed his hand and pulled it away from the watch and across towards her side of the table.

"Look Logan, I'm sorry that came out wrong, it's not a reflection of what I think about us...."

He interrupted obviously still feeling snitty "Oh, my apologies, I must have misunderstood your insinuation that this whatever it is between us is shallow and meaningless."

She gritted her teeth "If you would stop being pig headed you would realize that I was about to explain." He opened his mouth again but she continued "and to apologize. My relationship with my grandparents is still kind of in flux and well; it's complicated by a lot of history that has absolutely nothing to do with you and me. I guess I'm just hesitant to let them into this part of my life... I'll save the horror stories for another day but suffice it to say that the whole introducing my grandparents to guys I'm dating thing has never been a rousing success. It was okay when we were pretend dating and you were just a decoy but now, well..."

Understanding dawned "You didn't want them to meddle."

She smiled and nodded "I guess you could put it that way. You sound like you are familiar with this scenario.'

'Wait until you meet my parents.... our relationship gives new definition to the word complicated." she watched as his eyes assumed a far off look and there was a moment of heavy silence.

Rory broke it "How about we agree to leave our sordid little family stories until the second date."

"Agreed." His smile was bright and mesmerizing and seemed out of place for the topic of conversation.

"Okay good, now why are you smiling like that?" she cocked her head to one side as if trying to analyze the quality of his smile.

"You just agreed that we are going on a second date."

She sniffed "Well, so far I'd say the forecast is looking good, I'm not signing a contract though, I think we have to makes sure there is no need for the third Lane CD first." Suddenly she turned a startled gaze on him "Wait you said I was going to meet your parents."

He nodded "That should be no surprise, that was a given before we were even dating for real. You haven't forgotten our original agreement have you? Come what may there is no way that you are weaseling out of that one."

"I would never weasel." She said in mock affront.

"Good...now about this whole Barry White thing."

The food arrived just in time to put off the rest of that particular discussion. Rory's eyes glazed over in pleasure as she took a deep sniff of the curried lamb that was first to arrive she breathed out on a blissful sigh "Ah, manna from heaven, the nectar of the gods."

Logan shook his head in playful dismay as the next plate arrived and she gave it the same treatment. "I retract my offer to carry you, we are going to need a forklift if you intend to eat all of that."

She gave him a proud smile "I have good metabolism, one of the many things including my name that was given to me by the reigning Lorelai Gilmore."

"You would need to have the metabolism of a hummingbird to eat all of that and not explode." He waved his hand at the largesse in front of her.

"Who are you, Bill Nye the Science guy? Surely you are not casting aspersions on my talents. We Lorelais take great pride in our excess."

She paused to enjoy the spinach Naan that had just arrived "This is excellent by the way, it reminds me of the Indian food that I conned my mom into getting when we were in London, I can still taste that Butter Chicken.... talk about superb thighs." She held up a hand to stop the inevitable retort "I know, dirty...clearly I've been around my mom too long when things like that come tripping off the tongue with such ease."

Logan was highly amused "So, you went to Europe with your mom, that must have been quite an adventure. In most cases I would say it would be totally dullsville but I have to amend that since I have met your mother. "

"Let's just say that when one has Lorelai Gilmore as a travel agent one spends time wishing for a dull moment." She chuckled to herself obviously remembering some amusing story.

Logan watched her, feeling her contagious smile leap to his own lips. "Your mom really is your best friend isn't she?" he sounded perplexed by this revelation as if he still doubted the possibility of such a nonsensical statement.

Rory took a sip of chai and nodded "Yeah, she is. I think its because she was so young when she had me that I guess in a lot of ways we grew up together, we have a bond is often more like that of siblings rather than mother and daughter. Every now and then she plays the mom card, but thankfully she uses that pretty judiciously." She stopped and gave him a suspicious look "Wait, I thought we agreed not to discuss family?"

He shrugged "Your mom seems more than a little schizophrenic so we will just discuss Lorelai the best friend instead of Lorelai the Gilmore."

She narrowed her eyes at him "Sneaky.'

"I have a natural talent. So, tell me about the Gilmore Girls and this crazy circus town of yours they sound a little like the cast for a National Lampoon movie or a Saturday Night Live skit and it sounds like if I hope to survive past the first date I had better have a crash course in crazy."

She waved a hand in dismissal. " I think you have the wrong impression, we aren't really that interesting. I'm sure it would bore you into a catatonic state."

"Au contraire, it sounds a lot more amusing then my life, I didn't get to grow in Mayberry and now I feel a little left out. I need to live vicariously. Humor me.' His eyes seemed genuine.

She leaned her elbows on the table and looked at him thoughtfully "Why are you so interested in my small town life? I'm sure it can't be that fascinating to the scion of a wealthy man who has traveled the world and can't hold a candle to the countless adventures of your own. I think I'm remembering something about sinking a yacht and spending half a year gallivanting in Fiji."

He pushed his half empty plate to one side and leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart "Well Ace, the thing is, you are a puzzle, an enigma, I've never met anyone like you and I want to know what makes you the fascinating girl that you are."

Logan saw her stiffen and with what was quickly becoming a sixth sense he recognized that her convoluted brain had somehow twisted his words into something other than his intended meaning. He grabbed her hand as he saw her shift to pull back. "Stop." She looked startled at this command but she stayed put as he sighed "What?"

She had a stubborn set to her jaw "What do you mean what?"

"What is it that you think I just said that insulted you?"

She wasn't happy about the fact that he could read her so well "I don't know what you mean." Pig headed Rory was back.

Logan gave her an exasperated look "don't try to lie to the master of body language. I gave you what was intended as a compliment and you stiffened and your eyes got all steely and you were just about to pull away from me and I am pretty sure that you are giving yourself TMJ right now. Now what gives?"

She lasted for about ten seconds under his penetrating gaze "You just all but said that I was just another notch on your bed post. Just some strange new species to categorize and then write in you little black book. A puzzle to solve."

He rolled his eyes and resisted the urge, barely, to shake her "Has anyone every told you that you are completely exasperating?"

She shrugged noncommittally "I believe it may have come up once or twice. What's your point?"

He loosened his grip on her hand slightly and reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear before giving her earlobe a playful little tug "The point Rory Gilmore, is that I like you. I believe I have mentioned that but perhaps it bears repeating. I like spending time with you and I like talking to you.... except or those rare occasions when I'm torn between the urge to gag you or kiss you just to stop the completely insane accusations that sometimes tumble from those tempting lips of yours. Now, what I was trying so valiantly to say is that because of this perhaps inexplicable affinity towards you I would like to get to know more about you. Clearly your town and your mother are a big part of what has made you the captivating albeit it vexatious girl that you are. Thus my interest in the inner workings of Stars Hollow Connecticut."

She considered for along moment before the corners of her mouth twitched up and slowly bloomed into a full-blown smile. She leaned forward as if imparting a carefully kept secret. "I like you too Logan Huntzberger." Rory weighed his words "Alright, I'll make you a deal, I will tell you about our little corner of the world and you will tell me about your incestuous little cabal and how you met."

He calculated "I'll do you one better, I'll tell you what really happened in Fiji."

Her eyes lit with that journalistic scent of a story in the making "Deal." She reached across and shook his hand emphatically and then gestured back to his chair. "Now, you might as well get comfortable because this might take a while."

He settled back into his chair and gestured for her to begin thoroughly enjoying Rory in storyteller mode "No place I'd rather be Ace. I hang on your every word."

He watched the play of emotion over her face, the animated hand movements as she imitated her mom and the rest of the cast of characters that he realized were more of a family to her than his flesh and blood family ever had been. He wondered if she realized how lucky she was. Finally she seemed to be winding down "Maybe you need to write a Cliff's Notes version." He waved a hand when she would have retorted "Only kidding, clearly a great deal would be lost in summarization but in the interest of actually getting to the movies this evening I will attempt it. Now let me see if have all this straight. Luke, whom I already met runs the diner that used to be his father's hardware store, his sister Liz and her totally loony husband are the Renaissance fair artisans, Miss Patty, whom I should always stay at least ten feet away from, is the retired starlet who now owns a dance studio and is apparently the official rumor monger for all of Stars Hollow..."

"Co-rumor monger, Babette would be devastated if she got second billing." Rory interjected with a grin secretly flattered that Logan was even attempting to follow this convoluted troupe.

He nodded "Right, of course, can't forget Babette, owner of the garden gnome posse and inhabitant of the house with six foot ceilings along with her significant other Morry of the estimable jazz playing skill. Then there is Taylor, the scrooge of the village whose sole delight in life seems to be digging up arcane town regulations in order to tie the entire town up in red tape for as long as humanly possible. Sookie is the slightly harebrained chef who owns the Inn with your mom and her husband Jackson is the eccentric farmer who is now the Town Selectman. Oh, and of course I couldn't possible forget Kirk who seems to be the town mascot and through some sort of nonsensical time bending manages to work in nearly every business in town and still lives in his mother's basement with what sounds like a rather impressive population of arachnids. Did I forget anyone? Besides the two princes of course, we have yet to get to the details of their involvement in this little saga."

Rory shook her head laughter evident in her eyes "You know when I hear you say it I'm thinking perhaps they should declare the whole town one big insane asylum."

"If the straitjackets fit."

She pushed him playfully in the shoulder "We may be crazy but you said you like me so what does that make you?"

He feigned wide-eyed panic "I think I'll be making my appointment with the family shrink first thing on Monday."

"See now you've just got the wrong attitude, you need to adopt the laissez faire philosophy. You'll see, after a while the irrational starts to seem perfectly logical. '

He smirked at her and clasped her hand again across the table and brought it to his lips "I think I'm already there Ace."

She shivered a little at the soft caress of his thumb over the back of her hand and felt a little temblor in her belly, a quake that told her that they were veering into that miasma where attraction and affection met face to face. She knew there was no turning back now; whatever happened she was in the car as they sped around that next corner to whatever awaited them. She met his eyes for a long throbbing moment where all the playful teasing, the banter and the arguments melted away and what was left was the heart of the matter. A chemistry that was undeniable. She leaned across the table without a second thought and kissed him softly. The meeting of their lips full of promise.

His eyes were warm when they leaned back from each other "What was that?"

"An invitation." She raised gave him a playful little wink

"To what?"

"My world."

Molten caramel eyes met crystalline blue and his words were silken and caused her heart to skitter and leap "It would be my honor to accept that invitation."


	35. Golden Boy

Rory barely noticed the chill air as they exited the restaurant, probably a result of the veritable mountain of curry that was still burning the roof of her mouth, but then it could also be a result of the fact that Logan had barely missed an opportunity to be in some kind of physical contact with her since they had entered the restaurant. The casual handclasps, the hair tucking and definitely the meeting of lips all combined to raise her internal temperature to a pleasantly toasty setting. Now his hand was resting on the small of her back as they walked toward the car and the tingle shot clear to her toes and sent a disconcerting hum to playing in her head. She felt giddy...she was sure that was the only word that fit.

He opened the door for her and she climbed in with a small smile feeling a bit like she was floating about a foot above the ground on some cushioning cloud of euphoria.

"Where to next Miss Daisy?" his voice broke the magical spell for the moment.

"The York good sir." She glanced at the clock in the dashboard "If we make good time we should be there right on time for the second movie.

"To the theater we go."

The look on his face was absolutely priceless. Rory smiled, a self-congratulatory smile as he stared up at the sign with a look that bordered on little boy in a toy store and felt a little thrill as he grasped her hand again secretly enjoying the familiarity of his affection.

Logan stared up at the sign on the Marquee and he felt his mouth drop...not a sensation it was entirely familiar with; he was rarely surprised and never enough to show it. Yet here he was, pleasantly astonished by the ingenious girl standing next to him. He turned that wide-eyed look on her and caught the twinkle in her eye, the sly smile.... she got him, another thing to chalk up on the new experience board.

"What can I say, I saw it and I thought of you." Her smile was curving towards delighted.

He looked up at the sign again and wasn't sure whether to be entirely flattered or slightly unnerved that she knew him almost as well as his closest friends, after a pause he decided to take it as a good omen, no girl he had dated had ever made the effort to actually know him. "Well we can't let an opportunity like this go to waste." He held out an arm " Shall we."

Her smile warmed him from the inside out and he felt a little like he was walking on some less than solid surface about a foot above the pavement.

Several hours and many red vines duels later they ambled out of the movie theater blinking slowly as their eyes adjusted to the glare from the streetlights.

Logan thoughtlessly grasped Rory's hand and pulled her towards him until she was close enough to wrap an arm around. He felt a tiny shiver against his side and wasn't entirely sure whether it was from him or from her.

"An entire film festival, dedicated to the late great Peter Sellers...only one word for it...genius, pure genius." Logan was uncharacteristically ebullient about the matter and Rory hid a self-satisfied smile.

"I believe that you may have mentioned that.... about 211 times in the last four hours. Not to rain on your parade or anything but it is getting a tad redundant, maybe we should just make a recording and you could play it on endless repeat for about 6 hours straight." She shot him an amused look but he continued to ramble as if she had not interrupted.

".... And your performance...masterful, a regular one woman show, brilliant, funny, insightful, I definitely give it a thumbs up."

She cocked an eyebrow at him "Planning to put in for an assignment change and become the Arts reviewer for the Daily News?'

"Only if you get to be my Co-reviewer because the side show is the best part. I especially liked the re-enactment of the ninja sword fight using red vines."

She shrugged modestly "What can I say, I have a talent for improvisation with snack foods...it takes skill and practice to parry with a red vine and should not be attempted at home by the untrained. Sadly I was at a distinct disadvantage without my usual mocking partner, I did the best I could but I assure you the two woman show is a must see hit."

He cast a playful smile in her direction "Perhaps one day, should I be deemed a worthy apprentice you will impart your mocking wisdom to me and I could be your humble side kick."

Rory put on her best Buddha face "Well grasshopper you do have potential and perhaps I could be persuaded to teach you the Zen of movie mocking, you are resourceful, I bet that you can come up with the right form of persuasion."

He stopped abruptly on the sidewalk and spun her to face him with a deft twist of the arm. "I believe I will take that bet Ace."

Before she had time to do more than blink his hands were cupping the sides of her face and he was covering her lips with his own. She stumbled back a step with the onslaught and her back met the side of a building. His lips were soft, persuasive, at first, until she started kissing him back and then they quickly lost all semblance of control. Their tongues dueled and he pressed her back against the wall kissing her as if he were a starving man being offered a meal. Finally the need for oxygen overcame the passion racing through their veins and Logan pulled back far enough to suck in a breath and meet her eyes. They panted in sync for short time while Rory tried to remember what the hell they had been talking about before this assault on her senses had scattered her wits to the four winds. The rush of oxygen to her brain made the halo of light around the streetlights seems to spin as a random thought finally clicked into place in her beleaguered brain. Right.... persuasion.

Her voice was a little rough "I was thinking a banana split but that works.'

He looked at her blankly for a full breath before comprehension dawned and she was forced to laugh at their pathetic state "God, I feel like someone just came along with a big eraser and wiped my entire brain clean of any coherent thought."

He let his forehead fall to rest on hers and his voice matched the incredulous sentiment "I second that, boy, who needs alcohol when I have you to turn my brain to mush every time you get within ten feet. I'm going to contacting the Surgeon General first thing tomorrow, you definitely need to come with a warning label; addictive and lethal in large doses."

She grinned up at him now having regained at least a modicum of stability "You know I think that maybe one of the sweetest things you have ever said to me."

His answering smirk was classic Logan "Does that mean I get the job?"

She patted him on the cheek "Sure Huntzberger, you can be my side kick any time."

"In that case may I suggest one modification to the plan?"

"Geez, give the guy a bit part and suddenly he wants to see his name in lights." She crossed her arms and tried to look admonishing but failed utterly at his teasing wink.

"Maybe we should practice this mocking sport in a slightly more private place where the other movie going patrons don't threaten bodily harm and dismemberment every five minutes. "

She rolled her eyes "Sure, and while you're at it why not run on over to Pamplona and tell the folks that there won't be any bulls involved in the running of the bulls this year because, well by gosh it might be dangerous and someone might get hurt."

"Fine, easy for you to say, you can just flutter your eyelashes and the brute who wants to beat you to a pulp dissolves into a helpless lap dog. Me, I'm not exactly the coquettish type."

She put her hands on her hips "Oh please, I bet you can flutter your eyelashes with the best of them."

"Yes, perhaps, but it seems a lot better for my life expectancy not to try it with a brute...you know I considered by some to be quite fetching and I wouldn't want said hulk to get the wrong idea." He pulled open the car door for her and let her climb in before he leaned down with one arm still on the door and gave her a little peck on the check "after all, I'm taken."

He shut the door softly and the words that had just tripped so blithely off his tongue rang in his head.... what the hell had gotten in to him? He groaned as he rubbed his hands over his eyes because in truth he knew exactly what had gotten in to him.... Rory Gilmore.

It wasn't hyperbole to say that Logan practically set the gold standard for mastery of proper first date behavior, hubris perhaps but not unsubstantiated. He had a painstakingly perfected protocol, a recipe for success and in the years since he had first had his heart broken this canon had rarely failed him. He had reduced the bit of romantic theater that was a first date to a smooth and seductive science. It was art, the right words, the right setting, the right amount of flatter and flirtation and the intimation that perhaps the current lucky object of his attention might in fact be THE woman who could tame the tempestuous Logan Huntzberger. Up until recently that insinuation had been pure fiction as no woman since Rebecca had gotten anywhere near that tender organ known as his heart.

Then the girl of the hour had crashed right into his happy little existence. She had reduced his infamous shield to shards, had questioned and insulted everything about the facade that he had worked so hard to project to the rest of the world and he found himself curious. Everything that attracted all those other women to him like moths to a flame she spent less than half a second casting dispersions on and dismissing as he had stood by stunned and he watched his legendary image reduced to dust. Despite this plethora of reasons to the contrary he found himself drawn to this pariah. He was certain it was some greater being's idea of a cosmic joke.

It was irksome to find himself on a rather frequent occasion comparing some passing pretty girl to Rory and although in sheer physical beauty they might be her equal they all seemed to somehow come up lacking. This could be dismissed as the tell tale signs of infatuation. Infatuation he wasn't too worried about, infatuation was temporary, like getting a cold. You might feel a little under the weather for a few days but then you got over it and went back to everyday life and next time you encountered it you were immune.

Then the unthinkable had occurred. This morning had tipped it. Knowing that she had spent the night in Stars Hollow and would therefore be absent from their daily coffee ritual he had come prepared, settled into his customary chair, envisioning peace and quiet and a solitary reading of the newspaper. Just because he could, he read the comics first.

He realized half way through the first panel that it wasn't nearly as much fun to read them first when someone wasn't bugging you constantly and making outrageous threats about your dire peril if you did not hand the funnies over immediately. It took the fun out of a good chortle on Bill the Cat's behalf when there was no one on the other side of the newspaper trying in quite annoying fashion to read over the edge of the paper and figure out what exactly you found so amusing. Deciding that today just wasn't a funnies sort of day he set down the comics and moved on to the front-page feeling strangely unsatisfied. He was barely through the first article when he lifted his head to discuss the topic in a manner that in short time had become practically second nature only to find the chair opposite him regrettably empty.

It hit him. Not in a blinding flash of epiphany but rather as if he had been aware that something was following him, gaining on him for sometime and he had only just now turned his head and caught a clear glimpse of this stalker. He missed her. One morning without the routine and he missed her. There was a moment of gut clenching certainty that told him that any notion he had of escaping this little entanglement unscathed had been obliterated forever.

For the first time in a very long time, he wanted a girl to be there, to be a part of mundane, every day life, he still shied away from the N word, need, but he knew he was tiptoeing dangerously close to that line where solid earth became quick sand.

He wanted her to be here for their coffee ritual even after the obligatory month was up and he wasn't sure how close he was to that objective. He might have her for the moment but he knew with a prescient moment to of clarity that the trouble with Rory Gilmore was not going to be in getting her; it was going to be in keeping her. At least he had a chance tonight to show his strengths, if there was any part of a relationship that he was good at, it was the first date.

He supposed, given his prowess that he had considered this night a slam-dunk...but even he hadn't expected this. This slide into the fantastical, the way his heart had not stopped racing since he had laid eyes on her... the fact that every touch, however slight sent had his breath catching. Whenever he set eyes on Rory he felt a little like he had just taken a curare tipped dart to the heart, the mystical blue eyes with their paralyzing intensity, the angelic face, that sharp tongue all combined to come precariously close to tripping his blithe tongue and left him feeling half dazed and delirious. He felt drunk, that kind of hazy world not quite coming in to focus kind of intoxication that sat on that little ledge between happy go luck tipsiness and dizzy room spinning, don't remember dancing on the bar naked drunk...he hadn't had a single alcoholic drink the entire night and he felt drunk. He was taken.... whether he liked it or not.

He realized that he had been standing outside the car for too long. He shook his head a little to clear it before opening his side of the car.

Rory slouched into the soft leather and took a deep breath after the door closed on her. She tried not to think about those words hanging in the air near her ear. She hadn't felt like this in....well she wasn't sure that she had ever felt like this to be honest but she wasn't ready to think about what those words meant. She wasn't sure what to say as he slid into the seat next to her, so she opened her mouth and improvised "What next?"

His hand dropped from the ignition and he turned to look at her "Well Ace, I figure we have two choices, we can call it a night, end on a high point or we can get that banana split you mentioned."

There was a short silence as she weighed the option, it was only midnight "The night is young, I am sort of in the mood for a midnight snack anyway so why not have some company?"

He rolled his eyes "How it is even physiologically possible for your to be hungry after the trenchers of curry and samosas you consumed, not to mention the red vines, the popcorn, the sweet tarts and the Reeses pieces. I don't know how you are even standing."

"Yes, but this is ice cream and coffee we are talking about, ice cream melts you know so it can fit into deceptively small places and coffee is more like a constituent of our blood chemistry than an actual beverage. Besides banana splits are good for you."

"Alright Miss Epicurean I'll bite, how is a banana split good for you?' He stuck the keys in the ignition and pulled away from the curb.

She gave him a flabbergasted look "Okay doubting Logan lets look at the facts, not only are there bananas, which are filled with all sorts of potassium and other vitamins, there are strawberries, cherries, nuts...I mean frankly I'm surprised they aren't listed in Andrew Weil's books as one of the wonder foods and I haven't even mentioned the ice cream yet, I think the slogan says it all 'it does a body good."

"You realize that slogan is about milk right.... not ice cream?"

"Purely semantics...I mean would you call an ice cube and water different just because they happen to exist in different thermodynamic states?"

"I see you are back to using chemistry to defend your eating habits."

She gave him an exasperated look "Hello, what other use is there for chemistry?'

"Well, you could use it to try to understand complex phenomenon that make our world function."

She smiled triumphantly "Exactly...like how ice cream and milk are actually the same thing just in different physical states."

He glanced over at her with a chuckle "And your mother buys this argument?'

She looked shocked "Buys it? She is the original inventor of the Gilmore Girl food pyramid...she taught me everything I know. You don't seriously think that I was just born an idiot savant of the snack food kingdom do you?"

He raised both hands "Fine, I surrender."

She smirked "And who said an old dog couldn't be taught new tricks?"

They found an all night diner and their luck held when the waitress announced that they did indeed have a fantastic banana split on their menu. The waitress headed off to fetch the keg of coffee they had requested and Logan tuned his attention back to her actual words rather than the rather melodic cadence of her voice.

She was explaining the tricky science of ice cream and coffee to him...."You see there are a lot of factors that must be considered when determining the order of ingestion. Let's say it is a cold night like tonight, well there is no need to forgo the icy goodness of Rocky Road when you can just drink the coffee afterwards and warm up your insides and snap, equilibrium is restored."

"I'm sure not even Nernst would disagree with you." He nodded solemnly.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise "Better watch out Huntzberger, I think your mask is slipping."

"I thought we were past the mask stage."

She looked slightly off balance at this remark but plowed onward. "So, lets say it is a hot summer night, well then obviously the order would have to be reversed, hot coffee and then cold ice cream to cool you off. Now that's the simple part, consider now the confounders, what, for example does one do with iced coffee or fried ice cream or heaven forbid, an afogato (ice cream and coffee together) or coffee flavored ice cream, as you can see these are very complex issues. I am expecting the world summit on coffee and ice cream to be held any day now and then perhaps there will be a consensus on these all important decisions."

Rory's banana split and Logan's slice of pie arrived. Logan had long since ceased his amazement at the amount of food that Rory could seemingly inhale but her utter ecstasy as she dug into the whip cream covered confection was still just a little bit mind boggling. She just gave him a cheerful smile "What can I say, kissing makes me hungry. '

He shook his head "from my observations I would say that hungry is your reaction to almost any activity...or lack of activity for that matter. You do realize that we just spent four hours sitting in a dark room without any appreciable movement or calorie burning?"

"Hey speak for yourself Mr. Entropy, mocking takes energy. I'm refueling, one never knows when the next mocking opportunity will come along and it is best to always be prepared."

"What ever you say Jabba, but this time there is no way I am offering to carry you."

She snorted as she took a big bite of chocolate drenched ice cream. They ate for a few moments in silence before she began to gaze rather covetously at his pie.

He finally grinned at her and pointed at his pie "Would you like a bite?"

Now she was all deference "Oh, sure, I guess, if you insist.... as a favor of course."

"How beneficent of you."

"Hey, I'm here for your brother." He almost snorted coffee up his nose at that complete fabrication.

"The soul of charity."

She sighed gravely "Yeah, my mom is always telling me I'm too nice for my own good."

"I see that we have entered the fictional part of the evening."

She took a sip of her coffee and leaned back to give him a considering look "Speaking of fiction. I believe I recall some mention of a story behind the infamous Fiji incident."

"Ah, yes, I wondered how long it would be before you recalled that ill advised promise" he hummed to himself for moment contemplating the best telling of a story which evinced his less than stellar character.

"I'm beginning to think it is of false advertising, one big PR scam to make you look all dangerous and exciting."

He cocked an eyebrow "Did it work?"

She put a hand to her chest "oh not on me, but I'm sure the husband hunter out there put in the plus column.... it's always a feather in the cap of a hunter that brings down a dangerous animal."

"I'll keep that in mind. This, however, was not propaganda, as my father is a little too fond of reminding me of it when ever the mood strikes him...which is far too frequently for my taste." He sighed and rolled his coffee cup between his hands then looked across the table at her, not quite meeting her eyes "suddenly I'm wishing this were something a little stronger than coffee."

Rory cocked her head at him "that bad huh?"

"Bad, I guess you could say that...one of those moment's that has you hoping for Alzheimer's to set in and erase all the salient points from your memory banks."

Rory's voice was soft now, serious "Worse than say sleeping with your married ex-boyfriend?"

His head came up and he took in her solemn face before he cracked a slight smile "Point taken...guess its best to get all the skeletons out of the closet."

She patted his hand on the coffee cup "I think that's a good plan...besides Alzheimer's would never work, it mostly affects short term memory. I suppose you could go with amnesia but it seems a shame to erase a lot of good memories just to get rid of one bad one."

His lips curved "Well damn, there goes my back up plan. Well, I guess if we are doing the whole clean slate thing I'll kill two birds with one stone since telling you about how I came to be acquainted with the bunch of lunatics that I call friends is sort of intrinsic to the whole boat sinking incident. It's true what they say I guess that the sins of one's youth do have a way of catching up with one despite the best of attempts to evade them.

Let's see, I'd say that as with most my stories of great folly it seems only right to start with Finn. My older brother is fond of saying that I was the golden child, the apple of my mother's eye.... until that star-crossed day that I met one Finley Morrison, only child, as it turns out only adopted child, of the venerable Grant and Patricia Morrison formerly of Tasmania but having come, by way of Sydney, Australia to reside in Greenwich, Connecticut. You might recognize a little enterprise run by his parents by the name of Morrison Enterprises. "

Rory held up a hand to staunch the flow of information "Wait, let me catch up here. Finn's family runs possibly the largest publishing firm in the English speaking world?"

Logan sounded thoughtful "I believe that it is only the second largest publishing company."

"Oh right, silly me.... and his name is Finley?"

"I wouldn't repeat that to him unless you have a death wish, he tends to be a bit sensitive about the name. "

"And he's from Tasmania?"

"The original Tasmanian devil in the flesh."

She laughed "How strangely appropriate.... okay, so how is that you came into contact with this young fiend?"

"Given the obvious connections between our families in the publishing world I suppose it was only a matter of time before I happened to end up in the sandbox with young Finley at the tender age of 5."

"I thought Finn said you were only three..."

"In case you haven't noticed Ace, our fine Finley has a bit of a fluid understanding of reality and therefore finds it rather difficult to hold to concrete structure like times and dates and such. Besides, he does so love to exaggerate my prowess as a young lothario. In truth, I believe that I was very nearly the well behaved angelic child of legend until the advent of young Faust." He tried to look upstanding.

Her voice dripped with clear incredulity at his claims of innocence. "Yeah right, I'm sure your halo was lofty, given that it was held up by those horns." She snickered.

"You wound me Ace. Although I will admit that perhaps I did have a rather large independent streak fairly early on."

"Independent? Is that what they are calling it now?" she interjected but he ignored her.

"Unfortunately for my parents their intentions for me to have a fine upstanding young friend with similar background and family pedigree went horribly wrong when Finn and I made our acquaintance. He won over my nanny with one beatific smile and the race was on, our alliance in mischief has really never ended and I am sure to this day my parents rue ever coming into contact with the Morrison heir." He smirked a little "He is rather good scapegoat I must say, I appear rather mundane in the shadow of our jester friend Finn. The great thing about Finn is his sort of like a terrorist organization...he actually enjoys getting credit for naughty deeds, a character trait that has served me well over the years. A mutually beneficial partnership you might say."

"I have no doubt that the two of you have formed quite an unholy alliance over the years. Its probably a wonder that either of you is alive to tell the tale." She rolled her eyes picturing the world being taken by storm by the two young hellions.

"That's where our find upstanding friend Colin comes into the picture. I'm quite certain that the odds of our continued existence would have been considerably less had we not fairly soon after our initial encounter come to meet one Colin Bradshaw, a level headed, slightly priggish bloke even at the unfledged age of 6."

"Colin Bradshaw, as in THE Bradshaw?" her voice hinted at amazement.

He nodded "I take it you've heard of his illustrious elders as well." He could see out of the corner of his eye that her mouth had dropped open.

Her voice was a touch awed "Who hasn't heard of Simon Bradshaw, quite possibly one of the greatest playwrights of our time?"

"Also the egomaniacal philandering ass of the century.... but the critics never fail to leave that out of the glowing reviews in the Times. Too lowbrow for the literary folk I suppose. Alas, that has also not stopped Colin from forever attempting to curry his father's rather capricious favor. Ian was smart enough to walk away on his own terms and thumb his nose at dear old dad a long while ago but Colin hasn't quite got the gumption for that. I believe that exact predicament is what led to his inclusion in our little band of rabble-rousers, in fact I dare to say that he was well on his way to being one of the argyle clad parishioners of our friend Doyle's church of ladder climbers when he was dragged off that path by an unfortunate incident that led to the start of our friendship. You see Colin by nature is not a problem child; he is a peacemaker, a straight-line walker who for most of our young childhood wanted nothing to do with our always brilliant but often impetuous schemes.

Then one fateful day pious, conscientious Colin stumbled into a classic dilemma. He made a life altering tactical error. He fell in love with a girl. Now to appreciate this story you have to understand this wasn't just any girl, this was the belle of the fifth grade, one golden ringlet endowed, blue eyed Stephanie Chase, the prettiest, sweetest girl that our unlucky Colin had ever laid eyes on. It's really quite a parable on the havoc that love can wreak in even the most staid of individuals. Our intrepid Colin took one look at young miss Stephanie standing atop the jungle gym ruling her kingdom of adoring subjects and he was lost, in truth I'm not sure we've found him yet." There was a pause as Logan considered this comment.

"Now our dear Stephanie may give Shirley Temple a run for her money in the cherubic countenance department but as I'm sure you have realized looks can be quite deceiving.

Colin's ardor was from afar for a while but then one cataclysmic day he saw his opportunity to win the affections of this princess. She was waiting outside the school because her nanny was running late to pick her up and looking lost and forlorn as only a bored Stephanie can look, I've seen grown men melt into a pathetic puddle at her feet with that look and let me assure you our little Colin was no match for such skillful wiles. Like an eager puppy dog he offered to walk her home. So far, so good you are thinking but just wait and you will see the trap that was already sprung. Now don't get me wrong, Stephanie is a very sweet person at heart, but when it comes to her power over members of the opposite sex she is sort of like someone who is born to royalty or to money, its just there and not something you even think twice about using, something that becomes so much a part of who you are that you take it for granted. She wraps every male in her vicinity around her little finger without a second thought, its sort of like breathing to her.... but I'm sure that you are familiar with the phenomenon."

Rory nodded more to herself than to him "I know exactly what you mean, I've watched my mom cast her spell on every man she meets since I was a toddler, I don't think she even realizes she does it but somehow she walks away and leaves them dumbstruck, totally mesmerized.... I think it must be something biochemical."

Logan shot her a calculating look "have you ever considered the possibility that it might be genetic?"

She was clearly confused by the comment "You mean me? I hardly recall members of the opposite sex swooning as I pass or acting as if they are enchanted by my every word so I'm pretty sure that whatever spell casting abilities my mom possesses didn't make it into my gene pool."

He thought back to their first encounter and remembered his own completely disconcerting sense of having come into contact with some fascinating and alluring new life form, enchantment was a rather apt word for it actually. "I wouldn't be so sure." It came out an under the breath mutter and he subsided at her questioning glance, deciding to leave that subject to another day.

"Back to the plight of the desperate. Stephanie was enjoying the company of our bashful paladin as they strolled on this lovely spring day when she suddenly spied some lovely flowers growing in the beautiful garden of a passing house. With a classically covetous eye she asked, every so felicitously, if her companion would retrieve her a bouquet of said blooms. Being the besotted fool that he was, Colin didn't think twice about the trespassing or the stealing of the flowers... that was until he was rather unceremoniously apprehended by none other than Headmistress McGrath, the bane of our young existence, a woman who took rather zealous pride in striking fear into the souls of the young and the helpless. Think Bride of Frankenstein meets Carrie. Now as misfortune would have it this garden happened to be the one passion, the one redeeming thing in this soulless woman's life and young Colin had just tripped happily into this little paradise and ripped out a handful of her prize winning lilies.

Needless to say Colin was having visions of his life passing before his eyes in a frightening blur, or worse yet his father's unpleasant reaction to the news of his perfect son's sin when Finn and I happened along. We were curious as a rule and less concerned with a fall from grace, probably because realistically we didn't have much of a distance to fall. So in one of those impulsive moments that we are so famous for, we decided to come to Colin's rescue. Finn, being the most gifted actor of the bunch and the one most interested in alleviating his own boredom invented an elaborate story about how we had put Colin up to this dastardly deed. It didn't take much to convince Monster McGrath that we were the culprits, we each had an inch thick file of truancies that would more than attest to the likelihood of our involvement in such a stunt. So we took the rap, earned ourselves a week's detention and a rather nasty slap on the wrist and went happily on our way.

I'm not afraid to tell you now that it may possibly have been one of the best decisions we ever made since it would be far from exaggeration to claim that Colin has quite literally saved our collective asses on more that one occasion. Its a wonder actually that he hasn't just left the rest of us to rot in a prison somewhere, but if there is one thing that you can say about Colin its that he is loyal and stubborn and he pays his debts. Now you might not think that such a simple story would lead to our friendship, but I guess fate works in mysterious ways and we ended up finding a nice foil in each other, You might call me the brains of the operation, the mastermind, Finn is definitely the guts and glory and Colin, well he brought a soupcon of much needed common sense and a surprisingly good head for strategy. We saved him from a life of boredom and banality and in turn he has saved us from countless horrors."

"What about Tinkerbelle where does she fit into the clique now?" her voice had taken on the edge of the analytical and he cast a mirthful glance her way.

"You aren't making a mental chart are you?"

She looked slightly guilty and defensive "There is nothing wrong with a good chart.'

"Whatever you say Urkel. You can put Stephanie on the chart as the queen, we pretty much let her play whatever part she wants, not that we could stop her even if we wanted to."

She raised her hand "Point of clarification."

"When did this turn into an interview?" he rolled his eyes.

"About the time that it got complicated enough to require a chart and color coding. Okay, so I suspect from my keen observational skills that Colin is still in love with Stephanie the heartbreaker but what about you and Finn, have you ever succumbed to the magical charms of your queen?" the question was off hand but she was suddenly quite curious about the answer. She had never really detected any chemistry between Logan and Stephanie but both were very good at hiding their feelings so one never really knew and with Finn, well Finn exuded innuendo but she had gotten the distinctive feeling that he and Stephanie were more like brother and sister. There was a long moment of silence and she watched curiously as a little flush crept up Logan's cheeks. Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. "You did?"

He cleared his throat "That's actually the perfect segue to the whole Fiji incident as this topic is actually quite relevant to this discussion." He glanced at her quickly and then back down at the dregs of his coffee that he swirled in his cup before taking a long swig. He gave her a slightly sardonic look "Liquid courage without the kick I guess." his voice was sort of distant as he obviously relived the situation "I usually joke and make light of the whole mess but in all honesty its one of the few moments in my life that I truly regret. I've done a lot of things that most people would consider naughty but they are mostly harmless, I guess you could say at worst the only person who usually risks getting hurt is me and that chance I'm usually willing to take. However, I have always prided myself on not being selfish or cruel and on protecting the people I care about. I don't shame easily, mostly because I think most people are so afraid of what other people think of them that they give up living to conform to other people's ideas of a good life but this story is my one shameful secret."

He was silent for a long moment but Rory resisted the urge to comfort him, and instead just waited, he would tell the story his own way if he wanted her to hear it.

He finally began to speak. "Finn and Colin and I have been in cahoots with Steph since that day with the flower scandal. Colin quite obviously has been totally infatuated with Stephanie since the first day they met but they have never dated, mostly out of fear I think. Colin is too afraid to test the dream and see if it is reality and probably afraid of getting his heart broken and Stephanie, well she pretends its because she wants this carefree life and likes casual dating but really I think its because she is afraid she will break Colin's heart or even worse that maybe that dream would be real. Finn and Stephanie are both only children and eerily similar in personality and I think because of that there has never been anything between them but pure friendship bordering on sibling rivalry. I think that Stephanie is the only girl that Finn has ever loved, but he loves her like he would a sister and he would do anything, and I do mean anything to protect her. I've seen that first hand and the wrath of Finn is nothing to scoff at. Now Stephanie and I have an odd relationship, we flirt, we tease, we have even on occasion pretended to be each other's dates...before your arrival of course, but it was always platonic, in fact she has always been a bit like a sister to me as well, protective of me when it comes to other girls getting their 'hooks into me' as she calls it."

Rory nodded and made a considering sound, "That certainly makes more sense of the line comment."

He paused in his retelling "The what comment?"

Rory hastened to explain "When I went to that first LDB event with you she said there was a line to get to you. I couldn't quite figure it out for a while because as far as I could tell she wasn't interested in you romantically, but I think she was testing me."

Logan cracked a smile "Yeah, Steph the guard dog. Luckily she likes you, I never hear the end of it when I date some girl that she hates. She and Darcy are vicious when they gang up on a guy.

Now where was I.... oh yes, all is smooth sailing, pardon the pun, until we decide in one of those spur of the moment too much Guinness on the brain to see the clear idiocy of Finn's plan kind of nights at the pub that we, the intrepid adventurers, slave to the motto of In Omnia Paratus should not while away our youth in a classroom but should embark upon a journey to see the world aboard my father's yacht. Sadly one's wisdom is often impaired for a number of days after a meeting of the minds such as this and by the time this particular caper had started to lose its shine we had set sail on the high seas. In retrospect it was a great adventure, a once in a lifetime experience, as you are so fond of saying. However, one key factor that we had failed to anticipate is that life aboard a yacht in the middle of the open sea can become rather dull. It lacks a certain amount of the stimulation that one is accustomed to in civilized societies. We partied and sunbathed and scuba dove until we were wrinkled up like raisins. We romped on Caribbean islands, climbed mountains and generally lived like the Swiss Family Robinson.... I think we even had a monkey aboard ship for a while. It was all fun and games until the tedium caught up with us. It was several months into the trip that things reached a monotonous nadir.

We were tied up off a small island in the Fiji archipelago called Vanua Levu in the Savusavu Bay, which is this incredible area, filled with natural hot springs. It had been two days and we were all going a little stir crazy when the idea occurred to us to go in one night to visit the hot springs and dinner, dancing and al fresco fun. I'm not sure what devil took us over that evening, perhaps the dangerous effects of sheer boredom on a 20-year-old mind but Stephanie and I were on a roll, teasing, flirting, dancing and generally making fools of ourselves. Finn was particularly enamored of a waitress at one of the bars and so was left behind to fend for himself fairly early in the evening. Colin wasn't feeling that well so after the third bar or so he decided to head back to the boat. This left Stephanie and I to our own devices and so we headed on to the next stop on our self-appointed pub-crawl. Somewhere along the line we lost count of the number of bars and I don't even think we ever even started counting the drinks but soon enough we found ourselves embroiled in a game of strip poker with a bunch of British students who were traveling in the area as well. The game was all in good fun, or at least it started out that way but we were all hopelessly drunk so I'm sure it was like a keg of gun powder just waiting to have the fuse lit. Soon enough a rather lascivious chap from Liverpool who seemed to have quite a ken for Stephanie lit it with a bang. After Steph lost her shirt he made his move, a move that Stephanie found quite repulsive and I being the loyal friend and male companion du jour jumped in to rescue her. She told the letch that I was her boyfriend and that should have been the end of it but the jerk was suspicious, claiming that we hadn't acted like we were together and he wanted proof. He told us he wanted to see us kiss, and not seeing any other way out of the scrape we complied. I'm not really sure what happened next, probably that lethal combination of loneliness, restlessness, long-standing affection and a blood alcohol level way above what is healthy, but when we kissed suddenly in our drunken stupors we were wondering why this particular idea hadn't occurred to us before. Needless to say we convinced the suspicious fellow with our ardent passion and the game ended.

I remember stumbling out of the bar still wrapped up in the kiss, neither of us was thinking past that moment, in that inebriated state there is no tomorrow, there is no best friend who is in love with this girl you are swapping spit with, there is only instant gratification. Steph and I are practically experts at instant gratification. We got lost and backtracked a few times but somehow eventually we found our way back to the boat, it was a testament to our constitutions that we were even standing really. We were giggling and kissing and generally making asses of ourselves on the quarter deck when unbeknownst to us a happy go lucky Finn happened upon us in our amorous lip lock. Now Finn may be amoral in a lot of venues but the one thing he does not tolerate is someone hurting his friends. Finn had enough wits about him to know that if Colin were to discover this extracurricular activity of ours he would be devastated and worse our little confab would be forever destroyed since this was an unforgivable sin. Now here is where the ending may seem less than predictable.... Finn, being Finn chose to take a rather unorthodox route to stopping us and rather than just confronting us he pulled up anchor on the yacht and took to the helm. I'm not sure to this day, and he's not telling, whether his intention was actually to scuttle the boat or just to get our attention by taking to the wheel but the end result was a rather horrendous meeting of coral reef and boat hull which put a rather sizeable hole in our primary mode of transportation. As an attention getter it was rather brilliant. . About the time we were bailing water in an attempt to retrieve our belongings from below decks Stephanie and I came to our senses and realized the stupidity of our actions, sadly a day late and a dollar short to save my father's yacht and our own consciences but at least, Finn was smart enough to stop us before Colin found us."

Rory was silent for a long moment as she digested this information. She took a sip of her coffee and let it swirl in her mouth for a long moment before she spoke. "That's it?"

He looked a little surprised at her calm tone. "Yeah.... that's it, the sum total of my wicked deeds.'

"Nothing between you and Stephanie since that one night?"

He shook his head emphatically "No, that was enough of a wake up call, plus in reality there is no chemistry between us, not the romantic kind, it was clearly a situation influenced by a lot of factors, not the least of which was sheer selfish stupidity."

"What does Colin think happened?" her voice was curious.

"We just told him that Finn was drunk and decided to try to sail the boat.... a version of the truth at least."

Rory seemed to be considering this and her voice was slightly surprised when she commented, "Finn is actually a good guy...despite first impressions. You are lucky to have a friend like that."

Logan smiled ruefully "Yeah, that's what I think most of the time.... don't go spreading that good guy stuff around though, he will never forgive you if you ruin his reputation."

Rory laughed and then cocked her head to one side "Sort of disappointing actually...the story I mean. Here I had this fantastical Robert Louis Stevenson, sort of adventure all worked out in my mind...pirates and gold treasure and fair damsels in distress."

He shook his head in disbelief "I tell you my darkest secret and you are critiquing it for plot line?'

She shrugged "All I'm saying is I'd hold off on selling the movie rights."

He laughed in earnest now "You, Rory Gilmore, are a very special girl."

She narrowed her eyes "I going to choose to take that as a compliment."

"I give you carte blanche to do whatever you wish with it." He winked.

She laughed and then moaned as she pushed away her empty banana split bowl. "God, why did you let me eat so much? It even hurts to laugh."

He looked shocked "Are you kidding? You expect e to stand between you and ice cream...I've seen that look in your eye when you talk about Ben and Jerry and frankly I'm not sure you aren't channeling that girl from The Exorcist."

"Hah hah, funny. Okay Captain Stubing what's next?"

He glared and sighed in a morose manner "See, I knew I should never have told a mocker this story."

"Fine, fine, take all the fun out of it." She looked at her watch and suddenly realized that the story had eaten up the minutes and it was close to wandering right past the wee hours of morning. "Oh my god, I can't believe it is so late.... or maybe so early. I guess we should be heading back."

He threw some money on the table to cover the bill and rose from his seat with a certain panache that had Rory blinking up at him in surprise. "Not quite yet Ace, Come on...I've got something to show you first."


	36. The Stars Are Ours

Rory followed Logan out of the diner with a perplexed look that he acknowledged only with a pat on the shoulder. " Trust me Ace, you'll like it." His head vanished as he slid into the driver's seat. She sighed in resignation and joined him in the car.

Rory was staring out the window into the dark night sky when she realized they had missed the turn back to campus. She shot Logan a questioning look "I assume you know that this is not the way back to campus."

"I was actually aware of that but I'm glad to know I have such an accomplished navigator." He was focused on the nearly empty road in front of them.

Rory leaned her head back on the seat and watched the passing buildings until they became trees "This isn't about to become a B grade horror flick is it?"

"Huh?" his voice was tinged with just a hint of 'what the devil are you rambling about'.

"You know the story, good looking, presumably nice guy takes first date out into the woods and then turns into evil slasher dude and chops off her head before he strips naked and wallows in the mud and howls at the moon."

Now there was definitely more than a hint "I must have missed that movie...A Wes Craven classic?"

She shrugged "More of a compilation really... American Psycho meets Teen Wolf with a little Swamp Thing throw in.'

"Uh huh...and I'm guessing somewhere in there is an accusation that I might be a serial killer?"

"Only if you assumed that you are the good looking one...a little narcissistic if you ask me." she was teasing now with a vengeance

"Teen Wolf? Isn't that the one with what's his name... that guy from that TV show, Family something or other?"

She gasped " Family Ties? Perhaps one of the best shows of the eighties, a piquant and often humorous story of the classic conflict between eighties Wall street materialism and Bob Dylan listening free loving hippie parents from the sixties. Its practically an icon of the era and you are referring to it with that derisive tone... was you childhood really that devoid of culture? Do you not know of the existence of that wonderful invention called TV land? Do not even try to pretend that you don't know who Michael J. Fox is... unless of course you are claiming that you existed under a rather large boulder for the first 20 years of your life."

He cleared his throat around a laugh "Actually I would call Mitchum and Elizabeth Huntzberger a rather sizeable boulder when it came to pop culture, perhaps an asteroid would be a better metaphor, you know huge, hurtling piece of space rock that buried me in such a crater that it took a good 20 years or so to climb out from under it. Personally I like a good 1980' s sitcoms as much as the next guy but I'm not sure they would be classified as culture in my parent's crowd... their version of culture was more along the lines of etiquette teachers, waltz lessons and cotillions. By the age of twelve I knew the best brand of single malt scotch, the best place to buy a Cuban cigar, and the best way to eat a snail, I can do a mean Viennese Waltz, a courtly bow and have never to my knowledge used the improper fork on a salad course. I can tie a bow tie and play the piano, a misguided attempt by my mother to introduce me to the non-rock world of music. I have lost count of the number of times that I have seen Madame Butterfly but I admit with some chagrin that the first time I laid eyes on Mr. Fox was on some late night rerun of Spin City about three years ago."

She shivered in repulsion "You make me really appreciate my life. I had to take waltz lessons once... one of the most humiliating experiences of my teenage life and not one I wish to repeat anytime soon."

"You seem to have survived it intact."

She shook her head sadly "Intact physically but emotionally scarred and I'm sure my intrepid dance partner could attest to the fact that three inch heels leave very nasty welts when they come into contact with the top of one's foot."

He smiled into the darkness "yeah, I believe I've had my share of welts produced by debutantes. Most sixteen-year-old girls aren't exactly the pictures of grace, especially when they have knocked back a few before the parade. Talk about emotional scars, try escorting a tipsy husband hunter...not a pretty sight I assure you."

"You sound just like my dad. When I had my debut you should have heard he and my mom going on and on about when they were teenagers growing up in that over privileged world of wealth, they made it sound more like a high security prison... only their version was a little like a comic bit by George and Gracie Allen." She smiled fondly before the edges of her smile fell a little as she remembered the recent tension with her dad.

She abruptly changed the subject not wanting to go into the gory details of that still painful situation. "So are you going to divulge our destination? I'm locked in the car, a captive audience, no way I would try to escape out here in the middle of nowhere."

"It's a surprise."

"Come on, I hate surprises. " her voice had turned pleading and he was sort of glad he couldn't see that masterful pout of hers.

"Too bad...a few surprises in life are good for you...builds character."

She crossed her arms and he had the distinct feeling that she stuck out her tongue at him although he couldn't be certain in the dim light "I like my character the way it is."

He scoffed teasingly "Childish, sarcastic and suspicious?"

"You want to play that way, good captain, I can tell you are dying to tell me more about the Love Boat's cruise to Fiji." Her voice had a wicked edge.

"Did I mention that I find sarcastic and suspicious endearing?"

"Lucky for you I'm in too good a mood to let your Dick Nixon impression ruin it." She huffed as she turned to her purse and pulled out the two remaining CDs from Lane's collection.

"Lucky for me you've just completed your culinary tour of New Haven and all your blood has gone to your stomach in a vain attempt to digest that thermodynamically altered milk and sugar concoction you just ingested" He patted her hand comfortingly.

She laughed "Actually, I think its the banana...I should have known better than to eat healthy."

Without asking she opened one of the cases and slid a CD into the player. The music was pretty, mellow and romantic... until it segued into the silly. Rory let out a little laugh when she started to read the list of song titles on the CD case. She shook her head slightly at Lane's eccentric and yet good-hearted creativity.

"Hey, what's so amusing about that CD cover? More Barry White?" Logan asked in curiosity.

Rory shook her head but then realized that he couldn't make out her expressions in the car "No, that was my so called friend's idea of a joke, this one is more of a narrative. Well, let me read you the list of songs and you can see for yourself. Here are the songs on the CD entitled Fairytale in order...

_A Sorta Fairytale_

_Pure Imagination_

_A Lovestory_

_Golden Boy_

_Miss Teen Wordpower (aka Sexy girl)  
Cupid_

_Ticket To Ride_

_The Rollercoaster Ride_

_Pleasure and Pain_

_Glimpses at the Good Life_

_Spoonful of Love_

_A Charming Spell_

_And Then You Kissed Me_

_Epiphany_

_Falling in Love._

_Shimmering Warm and Bright_

_Sweet Surrender_

_Shiny Happy People_

_Flying High_

_Where Happiness Lives_

_Crazy Little Thing Called Love_

_Something Special_

The Perfect Fit 

_Heaven Is a Word _

_Eden_

_Paradise_

_An Eternal Flame_

He chuckled "That is one clever Tunemaster."

She smiled "Its a fairytale, sappy with just a touch of the ridiculous. Lane's a little punk on the outside but she is a hopeless romantic at the core."

"Someday I'm going to have meet this poet of yours."

Rory nodded "You'll like her...it's nearly impossible not to. She is one of a kind..." she laughed again "I just got it...that first song, it's the song form Willy Wonka. My mom is going to die when I tell her Lane found a cover of it...major bonus points for that."

They listened in silence for a few minutes before her hand started tapping on his knee "Are we there yet?"

He rolled his eyes "I'm mentally adding patience to the list of virtues you have yet to acquire."

This time he clearly saw the tongue and the subsequent pout "Mean."

It wasn't long before they pulled off the road on to a long paved drive and then the car pulled to a stop. For once Rory had nothing to say but just gaped at the sight outside the window and then her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She craned her neck to look up at the tall building in front of them and then looked back at him "Okay, I'm still at a loss. You brought me to what, an old missile silo?"

He made no comment and climbed out of the car closing the door behind him. She saw him go around to the back of the car and get something out of the trunk. He was halfway to the dark pillar of a building when she caught up with him and then walked sideways looking at him intently "It's the Bethany Observatory." He finally said in a tone that implied serious surprise at her lack of knowledge.

"It is?" she was taken aback at this...she wasn't sure what she had expected at the end of this trip but it definitely wasn't this. "What are we doing here?"

"What do you think Ace?"

"Well, one usually looks at stars in an Observatory but how..." she trailed off as her eyes widened "Please tell me that we are not going to break in..."

He shook his head at her and then her words ended abruptly when they reached a heavy metal door and her eyes widened in abject shock when he pulled a shiny brass key out of his jacket pocket. He gave her a toothy smile as he waved the key at her "We aren't going to break in."

Her voice came out a little hissing squeak "Why, I mean, what... how did you get a key to the Bethany Observatory? I'm guessing they don't just hand those out at freshman orientation... or if they do then I never got mine. For that matter how do you even know about the Bethany Observatory, it doesn't exactly seem like the sort of thing that is on the wealthy playboy's of Connecticut list of top ten things to see."

He gave her a droll, exaggerated wink thoroughly enjoying his role now "See what I mean... Suspicious. " he gave her a little pat on the shoulder and then pushed her aside slightly so he could reach the lock "Don't worry so much Ace, I hear it's bad for your mental health. This is very simple, we go in, we look at stars, we watch the sunrise, we lock up and head home and no one is ever the wiser."

"Famous last words."

"Only for the ones who get caught. Not to divulge my deepest secrets but I have done this a few times and as you can see I've come out virtually unscathed. The likelihood of us getting caught is..." he pretended to be writing numbers on his hand "lets see, carry the two... I'd say about 1.5"

She almost laughed but stared him down "One and a half? Exactly how does half a person get caught?"

He grimaced and shook his head slightly "Do you really want to know?"

"Okay, what is it you have behind your back?" she pointed to his arm that was hidden behind him.

"Just a little refreshment, always best to come prepared."

She narrowed her eyes "Refreshment? I'm sensing pre-meditation here... tell me this, how many other girls have you brought here?"

"Alone or in groups?" he pretended to be counting on his fingers but looked up with blank eyed innocence when she gasped.

"That's it. Hell will freeze over before I step foot into your little den of iniquity." She crossed her arms stubbornly.

He sighed "I believe that you claimed that particular ice age phenomenon already occurred once today, along with flying pigs if I remember correctly...if you ask me you are quickly running out of euphemistic versions of never." The door swung open with a creak and he grabbed her arm and pulled her through the opening with him. "Best not to stand out here and take our chances on those statistics... those odds go up significantly if you spend your time having a shouting match on the front lawn."

She balked "I am not following in the footsteps of your harem."

"God...you are so easy sometimes. The LDB, I have been here with the LDB okay, I was just teasing you, and I've never brought a date here, that is until your rather stubborn self." He gestured at a central staircase "Now would you care to join me? I hear this is supposed to be an incredibly clear night and if we can keep from strangling each other for long enough we might even get to see a gorgeous sun rise. "

Purely for form she made him go first but she wasn't far behind, it was thrill to be here, even more so to have that little thrill of the illicit. She muttered under her breath as she went, more to keep up the appearance of dissension than from any real irritation.

They finally reached the top platform where Rory stared in awe at the observatory ceiling, which seemed covered in a million stars. The night was dark as an abyss out here, outside the light pollution of the city and the sky looked a velvety black scattered with diamond brilliant stars. She hugged herself slightly and turned a complete circle with her head thrown back trying to get the whole effect of the universe laid out before her in technicolor.

"Wow." Despite her advanced vocabulary it was the best she could come up with in the face of such awe.

Logan was standing a mere foot from her and he tilted his head back and echoed her tone of wonder "I think it was Thoreau who said 'The stars are the jewels of the night and perchance surpass anything which day has to show.' Seeing a night like this certainly is cause for agreement. Its like the heavens have just become a big crystal ball for our personal viewing."

She peeled her eyes from the celestial realm long enough to cock her head to one side and observe him. His face was relaxed, calm, peaceful even, and clearly he was enjoying himself. She was having a bit of difficulty reconciling the cocky playboy troublemaker that she had met mere weeks ago with this beautiful boy who brought her to see the heavens in all their glory and let the words of poets slip so easily from his tongue. "The elusive Logan Huntzberger..." she mused in a whisper "Who are you really?"

He glanced at her and then back at the night sky and she would have sworn that he looked a bit embarrassed but he covered it well by slinging and arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to his side "Me, I'm just a guy who likes to look at the stars with a beautiful girl at his side. We got really lucky with such a clear night. The visibility is stellar."

She played along with the playful tone "That's an understatement of astronomic proportions if I've ever heard one." she grinned but continued her visual tour of the heavens.

He rolled his eyes "So you like it?"

She gave him a little sideways glance "I'm over the moon."

"Well, I'll thank my lucky stars for that." He winked at her and they laughed together at their silliness.

"A master of the pun, a budding astronomer, a coffee maker and a lover of Peter Seller's...how did I get so lucky?"

"I'm a man of many talents." He raised an eyebrow suggestively "Maybe if you're lucky you will get to experience a few of the others first hand."

She rolled her eye expressively "see, I knew it was too good to be true, you bringing me here just to look at the stars. This is your version of taking me somewhere to park isn't, a nice little seduction scene with the heavens as a backdrop... it is classy I'll give you that.""

He mocked injury "I'm insulted that you think so little of me. If I were trying to seduce you this would only part of my seduction scheme.

Her eyebrows rose "So now you are claiming that you aren't trying to seduce me?"

"I was a bit ambivalent about that myself at the beginning of the evening...right up until the banana split."

Now those eyebrow lines drew together in the beginning of a frown "So, what...my eating habits turned you off?" She crossed her arms and sulked a little, feeling slightly hurt by his seemingly flippant tone.

He pulled her closer despite her resistance and whispered against her cheek "I figured why waste the effort, since I knew you would say no."

She gave him a little shove "Well, I guess since you didn't try you'll never know if you missed out." She sent an arch look in his direction "how do you know I'm not a strong proponent of one night stands... maybe you have to pass a test in order to make it to the second date."

He was enjoying this feisty side of her and couldn't help but goad her "Oh really, so what sort of test is this...is it an oral test or a physical test or maybe a written test?"

"You know, a test of your...um skills." She blushed a little but kept on going.

"Uh huh" he raised an eyebrow in question "And you require every potential suitor to pass this test?"

Now she grinned, "Well, no, you would be the first."

"I see...seems a little arbitrary, making me take a test when none of the other lads were required to."

She nodded seriously "Well, you are a little risky so I have to be sure that it' worth it, you know, the whole sample the milk before you buy the cow theory?"

He couldn't keep a straight face "You do know that only female cows produce milk?"

She waved a dismissive hand "You know what I mean... the cow theory only more politically correct and less gender specific, revamped for the twenty first century, equal rights and all that jazz."

He snorted, "You are quite the feminist I see."

"Well apparently I'm not all that attractive to the males of the species." She harrumphed a little, it's not that she had any intention of being seduced on the first date but she was little miffed that he wasn't even going to try.

Logan grabbed her crossed arms again and brought her flush with his chest "Much as I enjoy watching you stew I have to disabuse you of that crazy notion right now before you take off on some flight of fancy. About the time that you were waxing poetic about the virtues of the banana split was the pivotal moment when I made up my mind." he pulled her towards a bench and then down to sit next to him.

She was still a little wary about his slippery charm "Made up your mind about what?"

He pulled her closer and whispered into her ear "That I wanted this to be more than a short term relationship."

Her eyes widened slightly and she bit her bottom lip before she uttered a slightly sheepish "Oh."

He settled back a little, still maintaining a grip on her shoulder and now she relaxed into his side "You see most of my first dates are pretty much a scene from a 007 film, it's not that one night stands are my specialty exactly it's just that the ardor seems to cool significantly after the first date or two. "

"Okay, so I should take it as a compliment that you don't want a one night stand."

"Yes. You see the difference is that I usually sort of skip the whole getting to know you, seeing if we are compatible stage... mostly because in a lot of cases I already know the answer and I would really rather not have the fact that every time the girl of the evening opens her mouth I am reminded of the dangers of inbreeding or the perils of too many nose jobs imposing on what might otherwise be a very satisfying physical encounter. It's shallow I know but it's a form of self protection, unfortunately this schema usually results in my realization, after a few of these physical encounters that the sex part just isn't worth the ringing in my ears caused by high pitch giggling or the innumerably lost brain cells that come from even being in that close a proximity to that much hair bleach."

She shook her head "A staggering expose of the vapidity of your sexual exploits."

"Yes, I am ashamed." His tone was completely unrepentant

She laughed "that was perhaps the most insincere thing I have heard you utter tonight."

"Okay, so my heart wasn't really in it... however, as you will note, what I was really trying to illustrate prior to that tangential excursion is that you are different, with you I do not feel the overwhelming urge to fling myself off the nearest high-rise building or find scratching my fingernails down a chalkboard preferable to the timbre of your voice...you I find compatible, something I was fairly certain would be the case but hesitated to make hasty judgment about. I want to get to know you...which I think we have been doing an admirable job of this evening but why rush the rest of it...we've got time... right?"

She gazed into those warm chocolate eyes for a long beat knowing exactly what question lay between the words "Yeah...we've got time."

He smiled and touched his lips softly to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. When they pulled back a little breathless Rory snuggled down beside him and they gazed up at the star and the peaceful silence stretched around them.

He turned towards the East bringing her with him and pointed an arm up at the bright field of glittering star "If you look over there off to our left you'll see a fairly bright star, that's Polaris, also called the North Star and there is the Big Dipper. Now straight ahead you'll see Taurus and Aries, at least you can see two of the stars, now off to the right of that is Pisces, but it is pretty faint so its hard to see the whole shape." He was still pointing up into the endless globe of stars above their heads but now Rory was watching him again.

"You surprise me Logan." there was a tinge of wonder in her tone that got his attention.

He lowered his hand slowly and let it lay on her right cheek, his voice was soft, "I hope that's a good thing."

She smiled a little "I'll let you know when I decide." She looked back up "So Copernicus, on with our visual tour of the stars" she pointed at a bright star higher in the sky "What's that really bright one there?"

He calculated in his head for a minute "I think that must be M31, its actually not a star, its a galaxy."

She shook her head in near repudiation "That is just amazing. I'm beginning to feel a little like that scene at the end of Men In Black with the marble where they just keep zooming out until you realize that our planet, our microcosm is really just such an insignificant part of this infinite cosmic space."

"Yeah, I'll vouch for the fact that looking up into the universe and seeing it's vastness like this is a pretty good way to gain some relativity when you are feeling like your life sucks." He sounded a little introspective.

Rory gave him a slightly perplexed look "You strike me as someone who rarely thinks their life sucks, I always got the impression that you sort of loved your life."

Her tone wasn't insulting but rather curious and he sent her a little smile "I'm good at showing people what they want to see. It's kind of a survival technique where I come from. "

His voice was gentle as he changed the subject "Did you know that the constellation of Taurus is actually a representation of Zeus? The story goes that Zeus fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the king Agenor who was named Europa. In order to win her heart he assumed the form of a white bull and mingled with the herds of Agenor. Europa...being a rather fanciful woman was immediately enchanted by this magnificent creature and climbed up on its back. Zeus carried the fair maiden far away to the island of Crete. Zeus celebrated his love for her by naming the continent of Europe after her and created the constellation Taurus to be seen in the sky for eternity, the symbol of fertility and power."

Rory stared at him as if he might perhaps have just sprouted wings from the side of his head "Okay, I'm officially impressed."

He smiled, a cat with the feather still hanging from its mouth kind of smile "You shouldn't doubt my knowledge of fertility and power."

She rolled her eyes at him with exaggerated disgust "Shall we call you Pan from now on?"

"I prefer Eros actually. I'm a lover, not a reproducer."

She faced him on the bench "Okay, I have to ask... how is it that you, the never present student, know so much about Greek gods and constellations?"

"You could call it a lifetime passion. It's the one thing that my dad and I have in common. My dad is a big astronomy nut. He even has a smaller version of this telescope in the house in Danbury. He has also belonged to the Astrological Society of New Haven since he was a Bulldog himself. When I was a kid he and I used to come here some times, when there was a really clear night like this and we would spend hours looking through the telescope and he would tell me all about the myths of how the constellations got their names. To a little kid it was magical, this entire realm of myth and mystery. When I was seven I remember he gave me this huge wall chart of all the constellations and all the planets, I had it hung in my bedroom until I was in high school and I used to stare at it every night before I fell asleep. At first I was fascinated by the idea of this great big universe that we know so little about, I used to imagine that I was an astronaught and got to travel to all these strange worlds light years away, later when I got older and things turned ugly between me and my dad those fantasies were like a secret way to escape the world I had come to hate." His voice had gone a little wistful and Rory snuggled closer in silent support. "I remember clearly my dad quoting Albert Einstein who said 'Two things inspire me to awe - the starry heavens above and the moral universe within.' When the mess with Rebecca happened I guess I stopped believing in my dad or that moral universe within. I stopped using the stars as an escape because in some way in my mind they were inescapably linked to my relationship with him. I found other ways to escape him and his iron control. It's actually been a long time since I came to here just to admire the universe. "

Rory pitched her voice soft careful to tread lightly "I thought you said you had been here recently."

"Yeah, I have been here several times in the past couple of years with the LDB, but well, without divulging too much top secret information lets just say we didn't spend much time staring at the sky. It was more like a venue for madness and mischief."

She nodded "Ah, I see." She turned her head slightly to see his face "So why bring me here now if this is a painful memory for you?"

His voice was still a bit abstracted "It's not actually a painful memory, just more like something I had locked in a box along with all the other remnants of things that happened in my past that I didn't really want to think about, the arguments with my dad...and then the cessation of said arguments, the pain of Rebecca's betrayal, the hatred I felt for my brother. It was easier to just lock all of that away until it got muted and dull and stopped hurting. I guess recently I've been thinking about it, thinking that perhaps I threw away some valuable things along with the trash. I wasn't sure if I was going to bring you here actually but it occurred to me that this is a good metaphor for the night...a first date, a fresh start. " He cast a droll look in her direction "the beginning of the fairytale."

She had surpassed the point of stunned and felt sort of inundated by all the new things that she had learned about Logan in the course of the night. "So how far do you think this fairytale will take us?"

He shrugged as if willing to leave the exact destination to the caprice of the universe "The sky's the limit Ace."

She stared him in the eye for a moment knowing the comment had been made half in seriousness and half in jest when she caught his little wink her tone came out a touch sardonic "Okay, now that was a little over the top."

A wide smile split his features "Too much?"

She nodded "I'm thinking the sap-o-meter is definitely hitting an all time high on that one."

He neatly changed the subject by standing and pulling her up with him before stepping towards a huge telescope in a disconcertingly competent manner.

Her eyebrows knit together as she joined him next to the telescope. "What are you doing?"

He was looking through an eyepiece as he answered "Looking for Jupiter.'

That had her mouth dropping "Jupiter? As in the planet Jupiter?"

His voice was slightly distant as he continued to fiddle with the lenses "Yeah...if my research is correct we should be able to see it, and Venus in a little while. It's not visible yet but you've got to see the stars through this thing...they really are breathtaking tonight.' He backed away from the eyepiece and gestured for her to take a look.

She stood stock-still, rooted in her spot by sheer astonishment her mouth kept moving despite her mind being a step behind "Research...you did research?"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, and the telescope "You can be a skeptic later, for now take a look. "

He was close, their bodies touching ever so slightly again as he turned her towards the telescope and showed her how to adjust it. She wasn't sure if the little gasp of awe that escaped her lips was more from the feel of his warmth seeping through the back of her jacket or the truly dazzling array of stars that met her eyes through the lens. "Its beautiful but that seems sort of like an inadequate word. Stunning maybe, or magnificent, or stupendous. I've never seen it like this, in so much detail, like the stars are one of those light bright boxes and are about five feet in front of you."

"Yeah the first time my dad brought me here it was a night like this and I remember begging him to let me live here, I never wanted to leave."

She pulled back from the eyepiece "Wait a minute...that's how you got the key isn't it? From your dad."

"See now that's why you are going to be a great investigative journalist, always looking for the story everywhere."

She was in a dreamy state of awe as she leaned back against Logan and they watched the tendrils of shell pink, crimson and coppery orange seep into the indigo of the predawn sky. It was like watching an artist wash the landscape with a sweep of color and light. It was magical. She felt like the whole night had been magical, as if any moment she would awake from this nebulous dream world and realize that it was all just a figment of her admittedly overactive imagination. As the golden ball of the sun began to peak over the edge of the horizon she felt clean...like this really was a beginning, a new story to be written on blank pages a story that would take them where ever their imaginations might lead.

The early morning sun streamed through the car windows as they headed back towards reality. Rory felt a little punch-drunk, caught in that strange surreal world that overtook one's mind and body after too much stimulation and not enough sleep. She had passed the drowsy, exhausted milepost a good hour ago somewhere amidst the lecture on Cassiopeia and was now feeling that giddy rush of false alertness that came just on the heels of sleep and caffeine deprivation.

"I need coffee," she suddenly announced into the warm peaceful stillness. As luck would have it they were just pulling into the parking lot at Yale and Rory practically bounced out of the car the minute the wheels stopped.

Logan rested his forehead on the steering wheel for a breath moment blinking away the sleepiness and wondering for about the millionth time in the last 12-hour period what the hell was happening to him. There was an exuberant knock on the window next to his head and he raised his eyes to see those sapphire eyes staring into his own. She backed away from the door and gestured for him to hurry.

He climbed from the vehicle and stretched his arms overhead with an exaggerated yawn that did nothing to dent her enthusiasm for the aforementioned caffeine. She grabbed him by the arm none too gently and began dragging him across the parking lot "Come on Rip van Winkle I know it's early or rather late in our case but you have to let me buy you coffee, its the least I can do after you bought me Indian food, movies, movies snacks, banana split and of course the stars."

He was tripping along behind her with a totally bemused grin on his face as they headed towards a nearby coffee kiosk. "You know Ace, I didn't actually buy you the stars." He hastened to continue when she glanced at him "Not that I won't take credit for them and by all means if you want to buy me coffee I won't turn you down, in fact I may have to take up your habit of multiple caffeine delivery devices if I don't see a bed sometime soon."

She all but skidded to a stop in front of the coffee kiosk and Logan laughed at her almost helplessly "Are you sure you need caffeine? You seem to have gotten your second wind and I'm thinking this wind has practically reached Hurricane alert status."

She pushed him up to the counter with an exasperated air "Order already would you, if there is one thing you should know it's that you should never stand between a Gilmore and their coffee especially when said Gilmore is severely sleep deprived."

"Yes ma'am" he saluted smartly and then ordered two cups of coffee from the slightly frightened looking boy behind the counter.

With coffee in hand Rory turned and began ambling in the general direction of Logan's dorm. He caught up with her in a few strides "hey, I thought the guy was supposed to walk the girl to her door after a date?"

She kept walking "Yeah, well, a little change in the rules is in order, you already braved Gellar the Glacier once I think that's enough chivalry for one date, besides you are looking a little worse for the wear and I'm worried you might get lost on the way back to your room." They each finished one cup of coffee on the way there and started on the second.

Before he knew it they were standing in front of the wooden door of his suite. He faced her with a slightly bemused expression and raised his cup to touch it to hers "I think we should have a toast. To a perfect first date." He was surprised when she pulled her cup back.

"No...not perfect, I don't think that we should call it perfect. Perfection is by definition matchless, a pinnacle, the highest aspiration, after you have achieved perfect well then everything you do from that point on has a pretty unattainable mark to live up to. It just seems sort of fatalistic to think that we have already reached perfection because then everything from here on is bound to be downhill, a disappointment. I want to think that things will only get better from this point."

"Okay, I think that whole lack of serotonin thing is starting to catch up with you." When she pursed her lips he continued, "I think we can call this perfect and still have the next time be, well..."

"What?" she interjected "What tops perfect?"

He shrugged "More perfect?"

"How about we call it practically perfect in every way...that gives us a little wiggle room."

The moment was perfect...no matter what she said. He smiled and she returned the gesture, a brilliant smile and her eyes sparkled with something he couldn't quite name. She stepped closer to him. He could all but feel the beat of her heart against him and lowered his lips towards hers.

The creak of a door across the way was an unwelcome interruption. Logan glanced up and groaned a little when he realized it was Finn's door. They pulled apart slightly and watched as it opened and bleary-eyed blonde tripped out of the room and headed down the hall at a fast stumble. This left a rather rumpled looking Finn leaning in his doorway. Even in his sleepy state he managed a rather expressive eyebrow raise that really needed no words.

"Well, well if it isn't the love birds come home to roost. Been out all night?" his tone implied that this was not a question but rather a statement that bordered on 'I know what you two have been up to until the wee hours of the morning'. Logan glanced at Rory for once hoping that Finn's rather lewd intimations wouldn't offend her. He jumped in to correct Finn's assumption but she stopped him with a hand to the arm.

Her tone was conversational "You are hardly the morality police Finn, I'd think you'd be the last to cast a stone in that particular direction given the fact that we just saw your last conquest doing the walk of shame." She put her arm around Logan and then gave Finn a demure look "Besides good girls never kiss and tell."

Before he could comment she turned back to Logan and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, her voice was soft near his ear "Thank you...for giving me the stars." she turned and ambled away at a leisurely pace.

Finn took a couple of steps towards Logan and they both watched her head down the hallway, Finn was just opening his mouth to make a comment when Logan felt something in his jacket pocket and called after her "Aren't you forgetting something Ace?"

She stopped abruptly and after a brief hesitation spun on her heel and marched back towards them. She stopped in front of him and he saw the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks just before she put her arms around his neck and rose on her toes bringing his lips smashing down on hers. Logan wasn't sure what had gotten into her but he was pretty sure that the top of his head was about to blow off any second. Instinctively his hands came around her waist and they both forgot completely for that suspended moment that they were in the middle of a dorm hallway, with an audience. Finally, she pulled back slightly and then leaned up and whispered in Logan's ear "I forgot to tell you... you are taken."

He liked the happy pounding of his heart, enjoyed the tightness in his chest and the dizziness in his head, he was in fact sure that he had just tried the most addictive drug in the world and was quite content as a junkie. Logan was enjoying her happiness too much to ruin it by telling her that he had actually called her back to give her the CD from earlier that night.

She turned with a pleased smile on her face and sauntered back down the hall with a little jaunty bounce to her step. She waved a little hand behind her "Bye Finley..."

Finn was quite enjoying the role of voyeur. Little miss virtuous was quite a hellion when she wanted to be if his friend's punchy expression was any indication. The look in his eyes was priceless, Logan looked like his knees might give out underneath him at any second and Rory, innocent Rory Gilmore looked like a kid who had not only found the cookie jar but had eaten every last cookie herself. He watched as she whispered something in Logan's ear. Something that made his lips curve in a smitten smile that Finn wasn't sure he had ever seen grace his friend's visage. Then Rory's words carried back to him and his eyes widened as he whirled on his traitorous friend.

"I see this was an educational date." his voice was accusatory.

Logan shrugged and his expression said that he was too far-gone to care what secrets he divulged, "I just gave her a little history lesson...about astronomy and names and yacht sinking." He turned towards his door but Finn caught him by the arm and stopped him his voice now dripping incredulity "You told her about Fiji?"

Logan shrugged, in truth he was glad that weight was off his chest "She asked...I thought she deserved to know the truth if we were going to be in a relationship."

Finn almost fell over in shock "You do realize that without coercion of any sort you just used the R word after a first date?"

"I may be deliriously tired but I am still marginally in control of my mental faculties."

Logan pushed open his door and headed wearily towards the couch. Finn stood stock still in the doorway and watched his childhood friend with an amazed look for a long moment before he joined Logan slouched on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "How the mighty have fallen. This is a date for the history books, the untouchable Logan Huntzberger captured at last. My condolences mate."

Logan rolled his eyes at him tiredly "Why am I in need of your sympathy this time?"

"You my friend are the pathetic besotted fool that Shakespeare wrote his best tragedies about...an intelligent man brought to his knee by the vagaries of the heart. One date and little Bo Peep has made you one of her sheep." Finn was laughing now. "And to think, all those girls in their slut shoes and tight dresses and sexy lingerie...who knew your weakness would be the girl next door."

Logan gave him a little ironic smile "Finley my friend you have no idea what you are missing."


	37. Baby Steps

What happens next?

Rory stared at the words etched in black ink in her journal, tracing them over and over with a careful hand and a blind eye. After staring at the ceiling in her bedroom for long minutes she had found that sleep would not come, despite the weariness dragging at her bones. Finally she gave up all together on capturing the elusive beast that ran at the reigns of Queen Mab and reached over to the shelf near her bed in search of her journal. She traced it's worn edges with an affectionate fingertip thinking about the words it held, all in all 2004 had been a good year, a year of transitions but in this moment she was at peace. She felt... happy. Trite but true.

She would be sad to see 2004 go, to wave goodbye as to an old friend and place this journal on the shelf next to all the one's from years past, some decorated with lace or glitter or pink hearts...back in the days when her mother would sneak into her room and steal the tome full of thoughts and dreams so she could dress it up, "make it pretty", her eternal mission in life...to make things beautiful. That's what she was, the reigning Lorelai, a splash of color in a white room, a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, the diamond in the rough that sparkled and shone and dazzled the eye when you looked inside to see it's shimmer.

Nowadays the journals were of the plain brown leather variety that was much better suited to the third Lorelai. She might have a subtle shine but she didn't sparkle. Preferred to blend, to observe, to explore the world, taste it, touch it and describe it. She didn't need bows and lace to do that but maybe a heart wouldn't hurt. She watched her hand as it crossed that field of glaring white marred only by the dark ink of that brief sentence and sketched the soft shape of a heart around the words. What did happen next? She didn't know...and therein lay the beauty of the moment. She shut the book. The rest of the page remained blank, waiting for the question to be answered.

Rory finally abandoned the idea that her brain might allow her to sink into oblivion anytime soon, knowing the combination of caffeine and the surfeit of euphoria producing chemicals in her brain would make restful sleep all but impossible. That decision made she took a hot shower and not particularly keen on hanging around the suite waiting to hear Paris' undoubtedly opinionated remarks on her first date she headed for the Daily News and the solace of routine.

It was Sunday and due to her hyperactive mind she was up at an hour that was usually better left to the birds and the sundry members of Yale's subculture of people whom much to their roommate's eternal chagrin admitted that they were indeed morning people. This group usually dwindled quite significantly by the end of the quarter with only a brief rally during finals week, mostly because of a bolus of people who never actually went to bed at all. Since it was that nice little lull before finals crunch hit Rory expected the newsroom to be a nice sanctuary of quiet stillness in which to drink her coffee, read the newspaper and perhaps write a few words of her own if the mood struck her. The room was silent as a tomb and blessedly empty when she entered and she plopped down in her chair with the newspaper and her requisite coffee. Soon she was deep into the description of a travel writer's trip to Bangladesh.

Her heart nearly stopped when a hand landed on her shoulder, engrossed as she was she figured an ax wielding mad man probably could have snuck up behind her and she might never have heard it. She smelled him before she heard him and that treacherous heart started again with a vengeance when a warm intimate voice sounded near her right ear.

"Couldn't sleep either huh Ace?"

"Too much caffeine. Figured I'd catch up on some reading." The lie slipped easily off her tongue...too much caffeine? As if there was such a thing.

He propped a hip on the corner of her desk so he was facing her. His quirked eyebrow said he wasn't buying the nonsense she was selling but he let it pass and launched in as if in the middle of a conversation. "My applause. That was a hell of a goodbye."

He didn't have to mention the kiss for her to understand the reference "Not a goodbye, more of a to be continued." She said it with a smile, glad to know that she had rocked him as much as he had her.

He cocked his head to one side "Good point." He paused before admitting in a tone that implied a dark secret that should never be repeated on pain of death "I had to take a cold shower."

The edges of her grin turned a little evil as she met his eyes "Good for the constitution I hear."

"Finn almost joined me."

She squinted her eyes closed in a face that implied utter disgust "I really did not need that visual running around in my brain."

His tone turned conversational "I think Finn might try to steal you from me."

She cocked her head to one side as if evaluating this option "Finn is a charming fellow." Her tone was thoughtful.

"Should I be worried?" his smile belied the tone of concern.

She pondered and then shook her head. "I'm not really his type."

Logan looked skeptical "Do you have two X chromosomes?"

"There is probably a biology textbook or two that would say that's the case."

Logan nodded decisively "You're his type."

"Lucky for you then that I seem to prefer cheeky provocateurs to lascivious Australians."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her "Just say the word, I'll provoke you anytime Ace... give the Aussie a run for his money."

They shared a smile and then both shook their heads in slight dismay at their own sappy behavior.

Rory broke the spell "So, what are you really doing here...on a Sunday morning...you do now this is the Daily News office right? I guess you can't be sleepwalking because we are actually having a conversation."

He chucked her lightly under the chin "Funny girl. If you mist know, my nay saying friend, I am here to write."

That had her brow furrowing in suspicious confusion...an expression that he was particularly amused by.

He stopped her with a finger to her lips before she could utter what was surely a sarcastic comment "Do you know what the root of the word sarcasm means Ace?" he ignored her eye roll and continued in a casual tone "It means to rip flesh... apt description don't you think? Now I know that this is a situation that practically begs for a smart-ass remark but how about we let that warm fuzzy feeling last at least a few minutes before we launch into the next verbal skirmish. I'd rather have a skirmish of a different variety if you don't mind."

He removed his finger and replaced it with his lips, kissing her softly but with some heat until all thought of smart ass remarks was temporarily wiped from her synapses... hell of a way to change the subject.

A loud and rather indiscreet cough from the other side of the room snapped them back to reality and Rory felt the blush climbing her cheeks when her eyes landed on Doyle standing less than five feet from them with arms crossed, foot tapping and a sour look on his face that implied that he had taken a bite of something he found distressingly unpalatable. So much for a nice quiet place to read her paper... apparently unbeknownst to her there was actually quite a club of people who made the newsroom their destination on Sunday mornings, either that or he and Paris had a secret tryst planned which Rory really preferred not to picture.

"Doyle." One word...but the polite yet imperious tone of Logan's voice clearly put the obsequious editor in his place.

Doyle backed off with clear mutiny in his eyes but his voice had turned unctuous.  
"Logan, what brings you to our fine newsroom today? "

Logan rounded the desk and clapped a hand on Doyle's shoulder skillfully steering him away from a still flushed Rory. "Well Doyle, I had a little visit from my muse this morning." he shot a little wink in Rory's direction " and I figured it was a perfect opportunity to work on getting myself one of those bylines that my father is so fond of touting. "

He stopped in front of the desk that was ostensibly his although he had never used for much but the occasional nap, knowing that Doyle's pride was smarting he tossed him a bone. "You know chief you're the experienced one around here so if you have any advice, I'm all ears."

Doyle clearly was not prepared for this reversal or the conversational camaraderie of Logan's tone. His eyes had gone a little wide and he stuttered a bit "Uh, sure Logan...how about I look at your first draft."

Logan smiled the polished smile of an accomplished politician who has just charmed the lollipop right out of some unsuspecting child's hand and patted Doyle on the shoulder "Thanks. I appreciate the help. I'll remember it." Magic words to an aspiring lackey like Doyle.

He fell into his seat and flipped the switch on the computer that had spent most the past weeks gathering dust. Doyle stood there for another minute gaping at this rare sight until Logan looked up again with a slightly abstracted expression "Was there something else Doyle?" It was an obvious dismissal and Doyle got the hint. He shut his mouth with a snap and whirled towards his own desk with a little huff.

Rory watched the whole exchange with a not quite hidden smile. She liked Doyle, she really did but she figured he got what he asked for when he insisted on being such a toady anytime a bearer of the Huntzberger name was present. Logan sent a pleased eyebrow wiggle in her direction "You can thank me later for scaring away the big mean editor."

She rolled her eyes but grinned, "It's nice to know that there are a few perks to dating you."

His eyes turned flirtatious "You mean besides my dashing good looks, irresistible charm and spine tingling kisses?"

She snorted, "I'll cede you the kissing part but we really have to work on that self-glorification disorder of yours. The ego needs a little whipping into shape."

"I would say my ego is quite healthy." This was said nose in air with a complete lack of humility.

She nodded emphatically "Exactly the problem."

"You would prefer that my ego be sick?" he looked appalled at her evil wishes.

"Maybe just a little flu or something...to bring it back down to the real world with the rest of us mortals." She was enjoying the banter.

"Mean..." he quoted her without batting an eye, which got a chuckle out of her but didn't stop her retort.

"Just an observation. Now, if you don't mind my asking again, what ARE you doing here?"

"You mean coming here to gaze adoringly at my sugar cakes isn't a good enough reason?" he sent her a doting look.

Rory was speechless "SUGARCAKES?"

Logan looked inquisitively at her hiding the smile that wanted to bloom at the absolute outrage in her tone "You prefer Honeybuns? Or maybe Sweetlips?"

Rory's eyes widened as they cast around her desk for something sharp to throw at him.

Her voice dropped to a threatening and malevolent hiss "You soooo do not want to play this game with me."

Logan considered for a moment and then smiled at her with a wicked gleam in his eyes "Oh but I do... angry is a good look for you but infuriated is one step better...give me your best shot, I can take it."

"How about Hunk of Burning Love?" She smirked at that stroke of genius.

He smiled angelically "Flattery will get you everywhere."

"Captain Amore." That one she was sure would get him.

He waved a playful hand at her "Oh go on, now I'm blushing."

"Or maybe The Green Horney."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively "You ain't seen nothin' yet babe."

"You are such an outrageous smart ass..."

He smiled winningly "But I'm your outrageous smart ass."

She groaned in exaggerated self-pity "I must have done something horrible in a previous life."

He snapped his fingers "I've got it... Sour puss!" he ducked behind his computer screen just in time to avoid the empty coffee cup aimed at his head.

"What are you? Five?" the admonishing remark came from an irritated looking Paris who happened to step in the line of fire and be hit by the balled up napkin that followed the cup. Her look could have singed them in their seats had they both not been caught in a fit of giggles at her timely arrival. She rolled her eyes "God, save me from saps. Now if you'll excuse me some of us came here to get something done."

She stomped in the direction of Doyle's desk and Logan leaned forward and said in an exaggerated whisper which was clearly intended to reach her ears "Wanna lay any bets of who she was planning to 'do' this morning?"

Paris's back arched and stiffened in a rather menacing parody of a cat cornered by a happily barking dog and her tone made menacing seem like a euphemistic term "A word of caution Huntzberger...I don't care who your daddy is, you take me on and Hiroshima will look like a nice little fireworks display."

Logan widened his eyes in mock trepidation "See Snookums, I told you to leave me alone so I could get some work done and now look what all your horsing around has gotten us...General Gellar preparing to give us a personal re-enactment of Little Boy's descent into history."

Paris growled and turned slitted eyes on her hapless roommate who was still chuckling before storming away with a huff.

Rory's eyebrow rose in new respect "nice on Huntzberger... I think that may be the one of the few times I've seen Paris without a snappy comeback. She does detest being one upped in the historical references department though so I'd watch your back."

He leaned back with a look of triumph "Well, I'm proud to say that all those hours slaving away towards my degree in History have been vindicated."

This surprised her even further "You're a History major?" he tone implied complete shock.

He smiled knowingly "Let me guess, you figured anyone with the car keys to a Porsche had to sign a contract stating their affiliation to politics or economics."

She laughed "Something like that."

"I happen to think that a student of history is the best economist or politician amongst us, the greatest master of not repeating mistakes already made by our wise and not so wise forefathers." Rory was surprised to see a sincere expression on his face and appreciated this side of him. Didn't stop her from teasing though.

Rory grinned, "Planning your strategy to attain world domination?"

"Just call me Dr. Evil. Speaking of which, we could go back to the discussion of endearments."

Rory pointed and accusing finger at him "Do not go there."

Just then Paris and Doyle marched back through the room and Logan gave an exaggerated sigh "Geez Gilmore, what do I have to do to get some work done around here? Gag you?"

Rory's phone rang which was probably a good thing. She flipped it open still glaring across the room at a smirking Logan. She answered automatically "Hello."

Her mom's voice floated across the line "So tell me about the boy."

Rory focused on the words with a little laugh "You've met him...you've nicknamed him, you've already threatened his life several times what more do you want to know?"

"Does he hog all the popcorn, is he a dessert man and most importantly, is he a good tipper? You know I always say the tipping is a good way to judge a man's character, if he tips too little then he is cheap and shallow, if he tips to much well that means he thinks everything and everyone has a price, either that or he has the hots for the waitress...neither option is good."

"I didn't count it down to the cent or anything but it was over 15 and less than 25."

There was an exaggerated sigh on the other end "What a relief. So how was the date really?"

Rory thought for a long moment for the right word that would sum up the true fairytale of their first date. The word slipped off her tongue unbidden "Perfect."

It took the triumphant crow of delight from across the room for her to recall the conversation between she and Logan mere hours ago...she quickly tried to cover her slip "It was a perfect opportunity to see Peter Sellers on the big screen."

Logan's look plainly said he wasn't buying it so she changed the subject "So, mom what possessed you to call me so early on a Sunday."

"Preemptive strike."

Rory waited for a more complete explanation but none was forthcoming "Okay... granted I'm not running on all cylinders right now but I think even on my best day I would need a little more than that to piece together what you are talking about."

"Sonny and Cher are back together again. The world mourns."

"You like Sonny and Cher so I'm assuming that you are referring to two people who are not Sonny and Cher." Her tone was less than playful. Just what she needed her mom in one of her cryptic moods.

Lorelai answered but only grudgingly "My new name for Yale is the place that fun goes to die. Fine Grouchy Gus here's the short version. The cold war is over... your grandparents are cohabitating again. Mom called me last night to tell me ALL about it...apparently there were treaties signed and everything. Watching C-SPAN would have been more fun than this conversation."

A grin split Rory's face "hey, I like C-SPAN. Besides this is great news, they were so miserable apart and now no more cocktails in the pool house... you should be happy."

There was a sigh that reeked of martyrdom on the other end "Yeah, that's me, tickled pink. Just can't wait for the reunion of the world's two most accomplished Lorelai critics. I'm not too proud to say I liked it better when they were making scathing remarks about one another and mom was ridiculing dad's sparkly vest."

"Mom" Rory's tone was censuring "Come on, you know you want then to be happy."

Lorelai's voice turned petulant "Sure, happy is good, I just don't particularly enjoy being the piñata at the celebration party where they take turns whacking me with sticks."

"You are exaggerating, they aren't that bad." Rory knew they actually could be that bad but was hoping that things had changed for the better.

"Sure, easy for you to say, it's not your wardrobe, life choices and hairstyles they mock."

Rory could sense a good sulk coming on so she intervened quickly to head it off. "So, Grandma called and told you the good tidings, I'm still not seeing the reason for the Sunday morning call."

Lorelai's voice brightened noticeably "Oh, well, I haven't told you the best part. Next weekend they are having a renewal of their vows ceremony. Mom asked me to be the maid of honor a gig I only praying does not involve anything Pepto-Bismol pink or made of taffeta...you know how taffeta gives me a rash. Dad wants you to be the best man."

"Best man? Isn't that usually the job of a... man?"

"Could have knocked me over with a feather too. Apparently the whole second marriage thing has opened the door to crazy. It's a regular Billy Bob and Angelina moment for my mom and dad, next they'll be telling us that Elvis is doing the ceremony or we have to stand in a big circle and light candles and chant. Regardless, the request will be made when mom calls you this morning, that and a request that you bring a date...my mother specifically mentioned the name of one Logan Huntzberger." There was a wincing pause.

"Ah" the reason for the early morning call suddenly became clear "Well thanks for the warning."

There was a pause as if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop and a follow up comment when the shoe failed to appear "Okay, I don't get it. For someone who was practically reduced to a wiggling puddle of panic at the mention of said young man's name from my mother's lips two days ago you seem entirely unfazed...like eerily unfazed...did he slip you some Love Potion 9 last night or something?" This was said in a curious tone.

Rory shrugged but then realized her mom couldn't see her over the phone line...they really needed one of those video phone thingies "I'm picking my battles, I've decided that it's a good thing to just get the whole family function thing over with. Its going to happen eventually and what better time than a celebration."

"How very Junior Statesman of you." Lorelai's tone was dry.

"I'm going with the philosophies of Benjamin Franklin when he said 'There was never a good war or a bad peace'. Her tone was very matter of fact, truth of the matter was, she figured it was a good way to get the obligation out of the way when her grandparents were bound to be on their best behavior. Even Emily Gilmore wouldn't make a scene on her own re-wedding day would she?

Lorelai's tone turned contemplative "Hey wasn't he the guy who also said "If you lie down with Dogs, you will rise up with Fleas."'

Rory rolled her eyes "You just like to argue."

"Well yes, it's the only sport I'm good at and I need a little exercise if I have to walk down the aisle in some frilly concoction by the Madame. So given the concession speech I'm assuming you are going to invite the boy?"

Rory glanced at Logan who had given up all pretense of working and was clearly eavesdropping on the conversation. "It's not a concession, more of a run up the white flag and call an armistice speech and yeah."

Lorelai pounced on the vague answer with a crow of delight "He's there isn't he? Never mind don't answer that. I won't ask where you are either ...too much information that could cause mommy many nights of unpleasant dreams. "

Rory sounded exasperated now "I'm in the newsroom mom, get your mind out of the gutter."

"But I like the gutter, there is mud in the gutter, I always liked playing in the mud, making mud pies." She was smiling and Rory knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Not only was that the last time you made anything that even resembled food from scratch but you know you only liked the mud because it was a surefire way to ruin those pretty dresses you so detested." She smiled a little at the thought. Her mother must have been a hellion as a child.

Lorelai chortled, "you know me to well daughter of my loins."

Rory groaned "Icky, do not start that again."

"Only one way to shut me up... I want to talk to the boy."

"No!" the tone was adamant and brooked no argument.

Lorelai calculated in her head and then figured a little white flag of her own might do the job "Okay fine, take away all my vicarious fun. Guess I'd better get going, good luck with grandma, don't let her dress you in a tux and tails...and remind her that you would just look silly in a top hat." The phone clicked dead and Rory stared at it for a second with narrowed eyes. Something about her dismissal had been too abrupt, too easy. She was up to some... Rory's train of thought slid to a screaming halt when Logan's cell phone rang and her eyes widened. She wouldn't. Sadly she knew without a doubt that she would and she had.

Logan answered with his eyes on Rory's face, perplexed at the instant of panic that flitted across her face as she bolted out of her chair and the look of resignation that followed. His thoughts were interrupted by a cheery voice on the other end of the phone " Logan? It's Lorelai Gilmore, Rory's mom..." there was a pause and then Logan answered with a little shrug in Rory's direction "Good morning Ms. Gil..."

Lorelai cut him off before he could make a dreadful mistake "I'm not your teacher or your boss so call me Lorelai." There was no doubt in Logan's mind that there should have been an 'or else' tacked onto the end of the comment.

Rory marched towards him and held out her hand for the phone without a word but Lorelai's words beat her to the punch "Don't give her the phone yet." Logan was amazed at the apparent psychic link between mother and daughter.

Logan couldn't help a little chuckle, talk about being between a rock and a hard place "I get the feeling I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

Lorelai's tone turned business like "You're smart I'll give you that. So you had a good time on this date I assume?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Lorelai chuckled at the tentative tone "Don't worry I'm not going to interrogate you for details, I do that to Rory later. I usually do this speech in person but seeing as you live in New Haven this will have to do. You don't need to understand this, just remember. Some time soon it might come in handy to remind yourself that sometimes "The strong must protect the sweet" immortal words from a wise wise man."

Logan couldn't make heads or tails of this cryptic remark but played along "And that wise man would be?"

"Homer Simpson...but that's irrelevant. Look Mac, my daughter likes you; so far I can say the same. Don't give me a reason to change that opinion. I know it's hard to believe But when my mama bear personality gets angered I'm not always my usually charming self. I'd hate to have to maul you beyond recognition."

Logan smiled but his tone was solemn "I believe I would like it even less than you would."

"Good so we understand one another. Louie, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." The tone said business was concluded in a mutually satisfactory manner.

Logan did laugh aloud at "You know your daughter used that exact quote on me shortly after we met."

"She's snappy on the references. A gift she got from me." There was pride in the voice that told him exactly how much this mother and daughter bond meant to her.

Logan polished up his smarmy voice just because he knew it would amuse her "One of many I'm sure."

Lorelai laughed with glee at that one "You might just earn that nickname after all. Don't hurt my kid and you could go far."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

"See you next Saturday." The phone clicked off before he could ask what was happening on Saturday.

Rory was looking less than pleased as Logan shut his phone with a thoughtful look. She placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward when no explanation of the conversation was forthcoming.

"What did she say?" her tone was none too pleased at her mother's latest meddling.

He met her eyes and clasped the hands that sat in front of him "What's next Saturday?"

She recoiled visibly and sputtered for a minute "She didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Invite you."

He thought back on the brief conversation "No...some rather garbled philosophy was exchanged but I'm pretty sure there was no invitation."

She sighed in relief "Good." She was planning to invite him but she herself hadn't even gotten the formal invitation yet and ...well frankly she was stalling.

Logan rose from his chair now and flipped off the computer having written a title and nothing else. His hand fell with what felt like familiar ease on the small of her back and he began to steer her towards the door "How about I take you to coffee and you can tell me what sort of ritual sacrifice or torture I'm invited to."

Rory looked back at his computer "But what about your story."

"My muse will just have to make an appointment, right now my schedule is all full up."

She considered for a moment and then cocked her head at him in question "Would there be pancakes involved in this coffee outing?"

"Well, I was planning on inviting you to the coffee shrine in my room which is currently sans pancakes...but if you'd rather go somewhere else..." he considered the options.

"No...if memory serves your coffee is well worth the loss of pancakes." She rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Better than pancakes? Now there is a first."

The linking of hands as they strolled seemed natural, maybe too natural but they were past fighting it. They arrived at his door and Rory found herself a bit nervous, she had never really seen his suite except for the time that she had come here mere weeks ago that now felt like years to rip his head off for the whole Marty incident and frankly she hadn't been paying all that much attention to the ambiance on that occasion.

She looked around curiously as the door swung open. The room was filled with dark, masculine furniture of the my wealthy parent's decorated my room variety but here and there were splashes of color and a bit more modernity that spoke to Logan's taste. It was surprisingly neat for the abode of a single boy and smelled of a rather pleasant combination of coffee, leather and what she could only identify as male. It was sophisticated which didn't surprise her with a leaning toward artsy funk, which did. The multifaceted Logan had struck again. Her eyes zeroed in on the object of their quest as Logan headed towards a tall butcher-block table that clearly doubled as a bar and the aforementioned shrine to coffee.

The chrome finish of the fancy espresso machine shone like a beacon and she drifted towards it looking as if she had just encountered a new life form. "This looks nothing like Stanley...you sure this thing isn't actually a Martian ship about to take off and head back to its motherland?"

He watched as she circled the machine "You know Ace for a javaphile you are woefully unacquainted with the better members of the species known as the espresso machine...and do I need to ask who Stanley is?"

She shrugged "My coffee maker of course, only I'm sure he'll never speak to me after today when I come home smelling like the dregs from the Silver Bullet here." She patted the machine like one would a small dog or cat.

He rolled his eyes "I don't think they are like pets."

"Closest we ever got in the Gilmore household, aside from a few misadventures with small rodents. Probably for the best that we form irrational attachments to our inanimate objects rather than living breathing things that we might cause the demise of."

He grabbed a can of coffee beans and poured them into the matching silver grinder next to the machine "I guess I see your point when you put it that way."

He flipped the switch on the machine and after a brief whirring noise the smell of coffee began to permeate the room. Rory sniffed deeply and her face assumed the rapturous expression that most people associate with an orgasmic experience. When her eyes blinked open Logan shook his head with a little smile.

Her eyes had taken on the silvery cast of lust but he wasn't entirely sure if those thoughts were directed at him or the coffee...wasn't, if he were honest with himself certain that he wanted to know. She leaned on the edge of the table and watched with rapt attention as his hands moved then she laughed at some secret joke.

He cocked an eyebrow in her direction while still watching the coffee level "Mind letting me in on the joke?"

She smirked, an expression he found alluring on her lips "No joke ...I just like watching you make coffee, it's sexy watching a boy be all domestic. Plus there is the added bonus of getting to imbibe the product of such domesticity."

He put a cup in front of her "You are an odd girl. Or maybe you aren't' and that is the secret that all us members of the Y chromosome club having been missing all this time. The secret key to a woman's heart. In the spirit of male bonding I should probably share this information with my male compatriots but I don't' think I will... I like having the trump card up my sleeve."

He grasped his own cup and took a sip letting the rich flavor pool on his tongue as he met her eyes. Her eyes had glazed a bit in pleasure but when she regained the power of speech she commented, "I have to warn you the coffee making thing, I'm not sure it will work on anyone but me."

He grinned and leaned towards her with that sexy smile firmly in place "Good enough for me. Besides, it is gratifying to make coffee for someone who appreciates my skill, my usual audience isn't nearly so adoring and they definitely don't call me anything as flattering as sexy."

The door swinging open interrupted them and Logan leaned back with a sigh and could only shake his head at Finn's always-impeccable timing. The words out of his mouth proved to Logan's chagrin that he had overheard the last of his comment "I'll call you sexy all you want if I get some of that coffee too."

Rory was overcome with the urge to laugh and wasn't sure if it was more because of the look on Logan's face or in reaction to Finn's attire, which consisted of the ever present sunglasses, boxer shorts with crimson red lip prints on them and a long black robe which was regrettably not tied, notably missing was a shirt and footwear of any sort. His hair stuck straight up in about ten different directions and gave him an adorably devilish look.

Rory couldn't help herself and laughed as she took a seat on the couch with cup in hand "You trying to give Liberace some competition?"

He either did not deign to respond or failed to make a coherent connection between her words and his person. He plopped down on the seat next to Rory and looked at her with a slightly bleary squint "Didn't I see you leave not long ago?" he looked around the room as if trying to ascertain whether he had stumbled into the wrong room, or the wrong dorm for that matter. He muttered to himself "Or maybe that was all a hallucination...been known to happen now and then." He looked around again with a quick bobbing of the head and closed one eye "Anyone else see those pink elephants?"

Rory just looked at Logan with a grin "I take it this is you usual audience?"

Logan handed Finn an espresso cup and then started to make another "One of...no doubt the other will be here soon." He cocked a thumb at Finn who appeared ready to drop nose first into his tiny cup "This one is like a bloodhound when he smells coffee, he can be sleeping the sleep of the undead and he will wake up for coffee."

Rory nodded "I can respect that."

Logan set another cup next on the coffee table just as the door opened again and Colin ambled in looking a far cry better than his friend although not noticeably more awake. At least he had bothered to put on clothes and had made the acquaintance of a comb. Rory doubted that Colin ever went anywhere with a hair askew.

She watched what she now recognized as ritual as Colin dropped into the chair next to Finn and grabbed the coffee with a grateful look. Rory suddenly in the role observer watched as Logan gave them all another round and then plopped himself next to her on the ottoman. They made an odd threesome when you saw them like this, Logan the leader, but clearly also the one that held them together. Colin the conservative one, the safe one, the over thinker but also the one most plagued by insecurity and Finn the flamboyant fearless troublemaker with the heart of gold...or maybe tarnished brass was more apt.

She recognized watching the tableau that this relationship she was jumping into with Logan was going to be a two way street. Whether it was a blessing or a curse was yet to be determined but she could see that Logan came with people, with baggage just like she did. Logan got the kooks of Stars Hollow, her eccentric mother and her psychotic roommate and she got the merry pranksters and their princess. She wondered idly what role she would play in the group.

She nudged Logan "Where's Tinkerbell? Or is she not a member of your little Coffee Club?"

He answered automatically "Steph doesn't usually surface before noon on a Sunday, not even for coffee."

"So it's just me and the cub scouts here...and you as their den mother...it's cute really." She laughed at the imagery of the three misfits in uniforms with badges.

Logan rolled his eyes but Finn beat him to the retort raising his head from a comfortable position laying against the back of the chair his tone was bit bemused "I think I'm going to be insulted by that comment later. Not awake enough now. Can't be expected to interact with others during my midnight snack...it's inhumane." His head fell back into position.

Rory shook her head, past the point of being shocked at anything Finn said or did "You do know it's 10 am right?"

Finn wiggled a lazy finger at her as if lifting the entire hand were simply too much effort to even contemplate and tsk tsked sadly "Time is in the eye of the beholder my dear. Ever heard of a little thing called relativity theory?"

Logan covered Rory's hand with his own to stop her and leaned over and whispered "Don't answer that...rhetorical question." Rory gave him a funny look so he continued "Finn has a pet conspiracy theory about the universe and the whole time and date thing...best not to tackle that one without a goodnight's sleep. Trust me."

She subsided and picked up her third cup of coffee that had magically appeared in front of her. She pondered that feat for a moment and then realized that she was actually drinking Logan's. This didn't stop her but it did get a glare from him "You do realize that you are drinking my coffee right?"

She feigned surprise "Really? Now that is odd, I would have sworn that you were smart enough to have made me at least three." She sighed and patted him on the cheek "Not the brightest bulb on the string are you."

Colin snorted out loud at that comment finally coming out of his comatose stupor and earning himself a nasty glance from the king the castle. Logan's tone was just a tad snarky "I'm thinking I should make a new habit of locking the door. Keep out the riff raff."

Finn smirked "You wouldn't do it...you love us. Besides it would be a wasted effort, I've got a key."

Logan's eyebrows went up at this confession "Oh really, and how did you manage that little feat?"

"I've got my sources."

Logan was still looking a bit put out by this information "And why do you need a key to my room?"

Finn grinned now, the grin of a cat that has just found the cream " Emergency backup bedroom."

Rory put up a hand to stop the inevitable question from Logan "Please. If you ever want me to set foot in this room again stop there. Most the time things aren't better left to the imagination but I'm thinking this is one of those exceptions."

Logan obediently shut his mouth, thinking this was one time they were in absolute agreement. He relaxed and put his feet on the coffee table "Okay Ace subject change as requested; you going to tell me about this event to which your mother alluded but did not extend an invitation?"

She sipped at the coffee "You want to have this discussion with an audience?"

He waved a dismissive hand at their companions, Finn was snoring and Colin had picked up part of Rory's newspaper and was doing a good imitation of her grandfather at the breakfast table "They hardly count. Colin's won't hear a word we say until he had read the entire financial page and Finn is dead to the world, he has an amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere and anytime regardless of environment and probably won't hear a word we say unless it includes the word sex or beer."

Rory watched fascinated as Finn stirred a bit at the mention of these words but then settled back into rather noisy snoozing.

"Okay but first the disclaimer, I want you to know that you don't have to go if you don't want to, I mean there is no obligation, I didn't even know about it until today so I totally understand if you have other plans or just don't want to spend your Saturday night with my crazy family..."

Logan rolled his eyes "You are beating this poor bush to death, just spill it Gilmore."

"I, you, I mean we have been invited to my grandparent's wedding next Saturday." She spit it out in one rapid sentence.

His eyebrows pulled together but his reply was interrupted by the formerly snoring Finn "A wedding! I love weddings."

Rory glared at Logan who just shrugged apologetically "Sorry...I didn't know to warn you not to say the word wedding, Finn thinks they are his own personal singles bar."

Finn continued, now looking bright eyed and bushy tailed and rambling joyfully. He rubbed his hand together "Now all I need is a sacrificial date that I can dump once I have found myself a nice bridesmaid."

Despite Logan's recent denial Stephanie walked in as if on cue and was instantly in the game despite her hair being in pigtails and her pajama bottoms being covered in big pink hearts "Did someone mention a wedding? I love weddings."

Logan just laughed a little helplessly "What is this crazy day at the Huntzberger coffee house? I don't recall any mention of you two being invited to anything."

Finn turned a winsome smile on Rory "But Woodward LOVES me, of course she'll invite me. A party's not a party without Finn Morrison."

Rory tried to sidestep "I haven't even been invited formally yet so I hardly think I can start adding people to the guest list. Besides it's not even a real wedding, my grandparents are just renewing their vows and the only wedding party I know of is me and my mom."

Finn looked Rory up and down with a calculating eye "You don't by any chance get your looks from your mom do you?"

Logan looked ready to clobber him for the once over and Rory's face had twisted into such a caricature of disgust that Finn quickly hurried onward "Doesn't matter...old people weddings are the best, lots of marriageable young daughters and granddaughters wandering around getting all mushy and dreamy eyed at the thought of everlasting love...perfect hunting grounds."

Stephanie nodded in agreement and then clapped her hands together "Better than the usual routine any day. You want to be my date Finney?"

Finn shook his head sadly "Sorry Doll you can't be my throw away date. You're too pretty and too much fun. You'd scare all the potentials away. Get old man Bradshaw here to take you." He gestured at Colin who dropped one edge of the newspaper upon hearing his name and blinked like a mole poking its head out of a hole completely clueless about the direction of the conversation.

Stephanie gave Finn a little glare knowing he had purposefully backed her into a corner, now it would be bad manners not to ask Colin and heaven knew the last thing she wanted to do was offend him or hurt his feelings. An Achilles heel that Finn had identified long ago. She turned a friendly smile on the still blinking and oblivious Colin "How about it Bradshaw?"

Colin looked a little like a deer in the headlights and clearly had no idea what the question was Finn just shook his head at his hopeless friend "Just nod and smile Colin."

Colin gave him a dirty look "I don't even know what the question is."

Finn muttered under his breath "Not like it matters you'd say yes if she wanted you to strip naked and be her surfboard."

Stephanie shot him a quieting look and covered his muttered words with her own "I was wondering if you want to go to Rory's grandparents wedding with me?" She rushed to reassure him "Just as friends of course." This pulled his eyebrows together momentarily and there was a second of held breath around the room as everyone anticipated his reaction to this automatic response from Stephanie. Then his forehead smoothed and the moment passed, his voice was easy a tone Rory suspected that he practiced just for occasions such as this and to his credit hardly a fray showed "Sure...no problem, anything for a friend."

Stephanie jumped up and down in glee and planted a happy kiss on Colin's cheek. Then whirled away to grab Finn by the arm and pull him up from his seated position "Come on Finney we've got to go figure out what to wear...we have to dress for maximum impact."

Finn smiled conspiratorially "I know just the dress for you darling, boys will be tripping over their tongues when they see you." Rory suspected that Colin would as well which was exactly Finn the matchmakers plan. They linked arms and trouped towards the door as Stephanie replied "You know Finn, it's a damn shame you weren't born a girl...you'd be the best girlfriend."

"I wouldn't want to be responsible for the multitudes of broken hearts that would be a result of such a twist of fate." Finn looked back over his shoulder to a still blushing Colin " Coming Colin?"

Colin pushed a hand through his hair successfully ruining the effect of the earlier combing and he glanced at the Rory and Logan still sitting on the couch with a look that implied that he was kicking himself for agreeing to this crazy scheme and then tr5ailed the two laughing hyenas out the door.

Logan sighed wearily and commented with an air of disbelief "Sorry about that, I have no idea what just happened but it feels a little like I imaging being run over by a freight train would feel."

Rory giggled a little "don't worry I'm used to it, my mom's kind of a one woman version of a freight train and my grandmother makes her look like a featherweight."

Logan rolled his head to the side and looked at her "Guess it's sort of a moot point now but I would love to go to your grandparent's wedding with you."

She smiled "that's good because that whole free will, no obligation thing went right out the window when Finn invited himself along. You have to be there to save me from those nuts you call friends...and you're crazy if you think I'm saving Colin all by myself."

"I wouldn't miss the show."

Rory leaned her head down on his shoulder and looked down at their linked hands for a moment before a yawn overtook her. "Well, at least they accomplished one thing. They managed to make me sleepy."

Logan laughed, "What can I say having friends like them is exhausting work."

They both thought that maybe they should get up, should go for breakfast or part ways and head for their own respective beds but that all seemed like an impossibly gargantuan effort to bodies that had finally relaxed into that drowsy near sleep state where muscles resisted quite adamantly any attempt to fight gravity.

There was silence, blessed silence where all they heard was the rhythm of their combined breathing.

"Maybe we should..."

Logan trailed off as he turned his head to see those sharp sapphire eyes go cloudy with sleep and flutter closed. Logan gave up his resistance and slowly felt himself sinking into the pool of warmth that her body created next to his. Her warm breath tickled his cheek in a pleasant caress and he traced the lines of her face with his eyes as it softened in peaceful repose. It felt good, being here with her, holding her hand as he dropped of that edge of wakefulness. He felt at peace and a last fleeting thought drifted across his consciousness before he slid into welcome oblivion. He was happy.


	38. The Play's the Thing

"_Bobbing along, bobbing along, on the bottom of the deep blue sea..."_

Rory caught herself humming again as she highlighted a paragraph in her textbook. It was the third time today and to her mortification Paris had been the one to point it out, according to the venerable Miss Gellar she had been doing it for days, three days to be exact. For some, say Mary Poppins or Snow White this behavior might not have seemed at all incongruous but Rory was more of a sing silently to the tune in your head kind of gal, she didn't even sing aloud in the shower or the car and she had never had even the slightest urge to hum. And what was with the tune selection? At breakfast she had caught herself doing a less than melodic version of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. She wasn't sure what this said about her but she was quite certain that this strange new unconscious behavior had something to do with Logan Huntzberger. He had been messing with her subconscious mind again, she just knew it...implanting some sort of devious subliminal messages on her computer or her cell phone. Logan was a hummer, a whistler, a belt it out in the shower kind of guy...not that she had witnessed the shower part personally but she had her suspicions and she very much feared that perhaps this strange penchant for humming was contagious, maybe a cardinal symptom of some new version of Mad Cow disease that ate holes in your brain until it looked like Swiss cheese... she had never been fond of Swiss cheese and was not at all looking forward to having her brain assume it's form.

She had first noticed the humming the evening that they had watched the Family Ties marathon that her mother had insisted on sending to them as soon as she heard the tragic news that Logan had been deprived of the first hand experience of watching a young Michael J. Fox and Courtney Cox. They had bantered through most of the shows but one time when Rory had made a run to the fridge for sodas she had come back to hear Logan quite happily humming along to the music in the background completely oblivious to the fact that he was doing it. It was sort of endearing, a fact that did not make her hesitate for even a split second to use it as fodder against him. If there was one thing she had come to know about her Music Man it was that you had to be on your toes, a prime mocking incident, not matter how adorable should never be discounted or ignored. It was a dog eats dog kind of world they lived in but she wouldn't trade it for the life she had known mere weeks ago.

Except for a few notable exceptions life wasn't actually all that different from a week ago...of course it should be noted that those exceptions included the fact that she had become used to visual death threats, was unable to write anything but sugar coated drivel for her modern poetry class and was currently humming aloud in the library...mortifying really. They were probably preparing the lynch mob in the study carrel to her right.

It hadn't been long since that infamous first date... less than a week, six short days to be exact, not that she was counting, a mere split second in the grand scheme of things but word spread fast around these parts...mostly thanks to Finn who apparently was trying to out gossip Richard Johnson of Page Six fame. Within twenty four hours of their return to reality Rory had begun to notice a steady increase in the nasty glares directed at her by complete strangers, women whom when had never laid eyes on who apparently now knew her by sight and by name and maybe knew where she lived, apparently that list that Stephanie had warned her about had been a long one...it was a chilling commentary on the state of romantic affairs on the Yale campus. Mostly though she had managed to ignore the glares and the muttered insults and sailed on with her daily life. The thought of daily life in some convoluted logic process led her to thoughts of lunch, also something she did daily and she was reminded by her growling stomach that she had neglected if for far too long. She had to keep up her strength in case that lynch mob came after her with pitchforks...she knew exactly how Shrek must have felt.

It was with a mixture of emotion that Rory spied Paris at a table in the dining hall. Paris had delighted of late in sharing her rather numerous thoughts about Rory's newest relationship. Rory slid into the seat and waited for the inevitable comment that wasn't long in coming.

"Is it just me or did the temperature in her just drop about ten degrees."

Rory grunted in response "I don't think I'll be winning any popularity contests anytime soon." She glanced around the room again but then focused on her tray and bit into a fry "C'este la vie"

She nearly choked on the inoffensive fry when a friendly arm came down on her shoulder and she swallowed before she shot a glare at the owner of said appendage. She rolled her eyes towards heaven in a clear plea for patience or divine intervention. She was not in the mood to deal with the smiling face at the end of that arm "Finn. What brings you out in daylight hours?"

Finn looked injured and withdrew his hand as if it had been burned "That wounds me Gilmore, the cut is deep, and here Master Bradshaw and I were just coming to rescue the fair damsel in distress." Despite the clear lack of invitation he slid gracefully into the seat next to her and waved for Colin to take her other flank.

Her forehead was crinkled in a look of confusion; finally she pointed at herself "Me? I'm the damsel in distress in this little scenario? According to who?"

Finn looked around as if scoping the room for snipers and then leaned forward to say in an exaggerated whisper "Word on the street was you might be in need of a little protection."

"Protection?" clearly Rory wasn't following this line of argument.

"You know, a brute squad to fight off the raving masses should a riot break out?"

Rory finally got it "So Mr. Moneybags sent you to be my bodyguards and protect me from his legions of female fans?"

Finn put on his best martyr face "Oh no my dear girl, we VOLUNTEERED to be you body guards, well okay, I volunteered but I wouldn't want to leave poor old Colin here twiddling his thumbs so he got himself volunteered as well."

Rory gave Colin a pitying look "And Bush the Lesser says there is no back door draft."

Paris finally interjected "Let me get this straight. The Skipper sent you two worthy seamen to be lover girl's scary hulks?" her tone was the epitome of incredulity.

Finn nodded "I prefer scary hunk but that's pretty much it in a nutshell."

Paris let out a scoffing laugh as she gave him a condescending once over "I'd say lounge lizard before I'd go with scary hulk. Better not to shoot higher than your fighting class."

Finn cocked a head to one side and sized up the snarky blonde "Woodward where are you manners, failing to introduce me your lovely companion." His tone fairly dripped smarm.

Paris rolled her eyes and Rory visibly brightened...this should be fun "Finn Morrison it is my pleasure to introduce you to my roommate Paris Gellar, best to warn you that she does bite."

Paris glared at her "Funny Gilmore. Very funny. Remind me to tell you later about the last person who introduced me like an animal at the zoo."

Finn grabbed Paris' hand before she could yank it away and ignored her look of abject horror as he raised it to his lips "I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. Tell me Paris, are you a good girl like Woodward here?" his tone implied that his real intent was something naughty...and it probably was.

Paris narrowed her eyes to slits and seemed to be considering which body part to rip off first. Colin shuddered a bit at the look, always the more prudent of the pair, Finn just smirked...apparently he was insane and suicidal.

Paris' tone left no doubt as to the threat "I think Gilmore can fend for herself against the Huntzberger groupies, you on the other hand would do well to start guarding your own body if you don't remove my hand from your grip immediately."

Finn's eyes lit in glee rather than the fear Paris had intended "Ohh...a fire breather." He clasped his hands together in joy "I do so love a fire breather."

Paris bared her teeth at him and nearly growled when he grinned at her and continued in a conspiratorial tone "My dear what big teeth you have."

"I eat boys like you for lunch." Paris was at a snarl by now.

Finn gave her a playful wink "Is that a promise?"

Rory's eyes widened in an attempt to contain the mirth that wanted to spill from her lips as she watched Paris gear up for a full frontal assault. With a snap Paris pulled her hand from Finn's grasp and gave the offending male a look that had caused many a crying jag in the weak. Finn just smiled, all teeth, a wolf to the core.

Paris altered her look to include such repugnance that one would have thought she were viewing a truly grotesque sight rather than Finn's rather comely countenance. She turned to Rory "Where'd you find this one? In a puddle of primordial ooze?"

Finn answered for her "Slime I'd think...Tasmania is known for its slime."

Paris snorted "Gee Gilmore you sure know how to pick winners."

Rory protested, "Hey, I didn't pick him, he's Logan's friend."

"Guilt by association."

Finn gave Paris a charming smile and his best Elizabethan accent "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

Paris turned back to him with a sneer "How typical, using Shakespeare in the service of your unworthy aims. I'd wager you don't even know the source of your banal clichés."

Rory sighed, if there was one thing she had learned in her short acquaintance with Logan's merry band it was that they loved a challenge, now Finn would goad her for the sheer fun of it.

Finn raised an eyebrow "A challenge." He looked askance at Colin "What say you friend, shall I take up the gauntlet this young maid has thrown?"

Colin sighed, the ever-suffering voice of reason "Like I could stop you."

"Colin was always the wisest among us." Finn smirked "You're on dear heart, on one condition, that wager you spoke of, might as well make it worth my while."

Paris gave him a condescending look "I should have known you were a rapscallion and a gambler. What's the bet? Money? How bottom of the barrel."

Finn laughed "Sticks and stones Love. A rich man has no need of character. I do however think that betting money, although enjoyable, is rather crass for such a lofty pursuit as ours, I'd say we can find a better ante don't you think?"

It was one of the first times that Rory had ever seen Paris questioning her own quick tongue, it was obvious she was a little unsure as to what sort of trap she was stepping into. Her voice was a tad on the cautious side for she had the notion that this beast would not be as easily vanquished as most. "I should warn you before you make a lascivious fool of yourself...my affections aren't for sale. I have a boyfriend."

Finn sighed dramatically "Your low opinion causes me pain Pet. I would not think of so dastardly a deed. Far be it for me to despoil the paragon of virtue that sits before me."

Paris pointed an accusatory finger at Rory when she saw the smile out of the corner of her eye "Don't you even think about laughing Gilmore. I know where you sleep."

Rory swallowed a chuckle and sobered with difficulty as Finn continued with a laconic tone "No, much as you may cause my blood to race, I would hardly dare to fan the flames for fear they would start a conflagration and leave me burnt to a crisp. I'm nothing if not a survivor." He stopped Paris with a raised hand "spare me the lash of your lovely but viperous tongue. I'm only out to defend my impugned theatrical knowledge. Since the play's the thing I say you pick 5 quotes form different plays and if I am able to name the source correctly then I win. My prize will be a feature article about me in the Daily News, written by yours truly."

Paris gaped at him for a full second, perhaps the longest known gape from Paris Gellar in recorded history and then she shut her mouth with a snap that sounded a little like an alligator snapping it's jaws on its latest victim "How incredibly improper."

"Impropriety is the soul of wit." Finn smiled winningly.

Paris snorted, "You're off to a poor start, I believe that brevity is the soul of wit."

Finn shrugged "I see you have a predilection for Shakespeare. I prefer the latter day Brits myself."

Paris was done with the preamble "Fine, your face in print, me the slave to your ego...what do I get if I stump you?"

"I cede that decision to you milady...whatever your heart desires."

Paris thought for a long moment, eyes narrowed in calculation and then met his smile with a cunning twist of the lips "I get to set you up on a blind date."

This surprised even Rory, since when had Paris taken to matchmaking as a hobby?

Finn just nodded slightly in acquiesance and reached out a hand to shake. Paris clasped the hand somewhat begrudgingly and then pulled it back quickly "Very well milady, the stakes are set...now for a bonus, my original quote 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks' said of course by Queen Gertrude to Hamlet in Act three Scene two of Shakespeare's Hamlet." He waved a gallant hand "Your sally my sweetheart."

Paris gritted her teeth and then gave him a menacing smile ""Asses are made to bear, and so are you"

Finn laughed which only made Paris' face go further sour "Ah my dear, you're going to have to try harder than that, those callous words were of course from the lips of Katherine in regards to the sweet Petruchio, Act Two, Scene One of Taming of the Shrew."

He slanted an eyebrow at Paris "care to forfeit now and save your pride?"

Paris rolled her shoulders "hardly, that was just a warm up, thought I'd give you a fighting chance, save your pride from utter ruin. I do so hate to see grown men cry."

Finn winked at her "I doubt that very much. However, your gesture was kind but unnecessary."

Just then Colin scooted over and Logan slid into the seat next to Rory surmising from Paris' bull pawing the ground stance and the practically visible steam issuing from between her clenched teeth and Finn's smug and imperturbable game face that a battle was afoot. He leaned over and whispered in Rory's ear "Why the battle lines? What did I miss?"

Rory tore her eyes away from the little tableau with effort and whispered back "Remember the scene in Princess Bride with the battle of wits...I think we are witnessing a reenactment."

Logan nodded knowingly "Which one is the man in black?"

Rory smiled but her eyes were still riveted on the two combatants "I haven't decided yet...I guess who ever has the poison."

Logan darted a glance at her and was relieved to see that the poison part was a joke...one should never assume when Finn was involved. "So, what started this one?"

Rory waved a hand at her roommate "Paris was casting aspersions on Finn's knowledge of Shakespeare, and then she mentioned the word wager."

Logan tilted his head back with a laugh "Ah, no better way to bring out the devil than with a promise of fresh souls to corrupt. So what's the contest?"

Rory spoke without looking at him "Five quotes from plays, he has to correctly sight the source."

Logan laughed out loud and Rory looked at him full on, perplexed by this merriment, he leaned over with a droll smile and said "I never thought I'd utter these words in reference to Gellar but...poor girl. I hope she didn't bet anything dear to her."

Rory's brow wrinkled in suspicion "What makes you so certain she will lose?"

Logan pointed and gave her a pious look "Just watch."

Paris launched volley number two "The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world. They can sit at their ease and gape at the play."

Finn gave a ho hum sort of sigh and kicked back in his chair to stare at the ceiling "The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde." He gave Paris a sideways glance "Good man old Oscar, said many a brilliant thing, my favorite motto being '**The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' Now **I thought you said you were finished going easy on me."

Paris bristled and spat out the next one 'He who allows himself to be insulted deserves to be so; and insolence, if unpunished, increases!'

Finn paused as if contemplating and then said in an admiring tone "Ah, an oldie but a goody. That would be the immortal words of Pierre Corneille in _Heraclius, Act_ One, Scene Two. Would you like to hear it in it's original French?" he cast an inquisitive eye at Paris who was turning a particularly lurid hue of magenta.

Rory leaned over to Logan again "You think we should stop this before Paris has a stroke?"

Logan shook his head "Don't' ruin our fun too early. How hard is it to call 911? "

Paris cast a venomous look in their direction at the overheard conversation and then zeroed in on Finn again.

"Enough pussyfooting around Rain man how about this one 'Demons are prowling everywhere Nowadays I'll send 'em howling, I don't care I've got ways."

Finn gave her a slanted eye look that suggested he was slightly impressed although far from stymied "Clever girl. I see you are veering into the more contemporary theatre. That of course would be from the macabre bit of theater called Sweeney Todd, most recently adapted by the legendary Stephen Sondheim. I only hope that quote does not reflect your opinion of me as a person. I would hate to think that our little game has engendered such hatred in such a brief period of acquaintance."

Paris narrowed her eyes "The allusion is fitting, however, your source is not correct, I want the original dramatist."

Finn sighed heavily "If I must, that would be George Dibdin-Pitt, although his play was titled the Fiend of Fleet Street I believe and was actually an adaptation of the original writing which went by the name of The String of Pearls..." he smiled "so judge do I pass muster?"

Paris hissed rather like a teakettle that has reached a roiling boil.

Finn smiled almost apologetically and waved his nearby napkin in the air in lieu of a white flag "Perhaps we should call this little contest off...call it a draw or a forfeit, whatever you like but I think you are getting rather worked up and I would so hate to see our budding friendship go down in flames.'

Paris narrowed her eyes to slits "I don't think you need to worry about us being friends anytime this millennium."

Finn made a regretful face "And just when I was ready to paint your nails and spend the night in pigtails telling you all my darkest secrets. I guess we aren't going to be bosom buddies anytime soon."

Paris looked like she was considering performing an emergency lobotomy with her spoon. "I wouldn't worry about anytime soon if I were you, your chances of surviving until tomorrow go down drastically every time you open your mouth."

Finn winked at her "Now you're just trying to distract we with flirtation."

"Play the game Morrison."

He laughed and did think for a brief moment that he saw a few flashes of his life before him as Paris lunged towards him. Luckily Rory was there to stop her with a quieting hand although it did earn him a glare "Stop being so inflammatory Finn. I'd really hate to see Paris spontaneously combust, it would ruin a perfectly nice lunch, not to mention the trouble I'd have explaining it to Doyle."

Finn looked a little like a dog who had been scolded and was slinking away tale between legs "It's not my fault she is so easy to inflame, all I did was play her little game." He pouted and Rory thought there was a chance that he might give her mother a run for her money in the pouting arena.

Paris was ready with her final shot "No pouting yet, you have to wait until I've broken you. Here's your last quote 'I cannot bear so base a method which your fashionable people generally affect; there is nothing I detest so much as the contortions of these great time-and-lip servers, these affable dispensers of meaningless embraces, these obliging utterers of empty words, who view every one in civilities, and treat the man of worth and the fop alike."

Finn clasped his hands together and settled his chin on his hands gazing with obsequious adoration at Paris "My dear your intellect makes me melt like hot fudge on a sundae. "

Paris looked ready to choke on the words "You are a scoundrel and you are stalling. Name the reference."

Finn gave a melodramatic sigh "Another beautiful relationship falls prey to my exceeding brilliance. " he paused as if weighing the options and Rory knew in a moment of clarity that this really was all a game to him. A game that he cared little about winning or losing but enjoyed purely for the sake of amusement.

Finally he raised both hands as if in defeat "Sorry... it seems my worthy store of theatre knowledge is depleted. I'm drawing a blank."

The look on Paris' face was pure satisfaction as she rose to her feet every nuance her body screaming triumph. She gloated as she rounded the table towards Finn with a gleam in her eye "Thank you Pony Boy for this lovely little game. I've got just the girl in mind for you. I'll be calling you soon to hammer out the details of your rendezvous."

Finn shrugged and remarked in a philosophical tone "You win some you lose some."

Paris grinned "yeah...in this case YOU lose some. It's been lovely wiping the floor with you Morrison. We should do it again sometime soon.' She was off with a swagger to her step. Paris was always at her least pleasant when an intellectual battle had been one, something about the blood of the innocent on her hands seemed like a shot of endorphins straight to the cerebral cortex.

Thee collective at the table watched until she was out of sight then Finn propped his head back and went back to staring at the ceiling with a whimsical tilt to his lips "she wants me. I have a sense for these things."

Rory almost choked on her soda "More like she wants you drawn and quartered and dragged through the quad as a warning to all intrepid challengers. But hey maybe your radar is just off today."

Finn smiled "She is a prickly creature, your friend. Never would have pegged Snow White and the Evil Step Mother as amigos, a twist I'm sure Walt never foresaw."

Rory rolled her eyes "She's not really that bad when you get to know her.'

Finn grinned "yeah, I'm sure she's scream at a good beheading. Life of the party at a nice hanging."

Rory narrowed her eyes at him "So why did you let her win?"

Finn's eyes widened in feigned innocence "No idea what you are rambling about."

Logan jumped in with a snort "Right...because the fact that you were practically teethed on Moliere and have all but adopted The Misanthrope as your personal flagship play apparently went right out of your head at her rather uninspired last strike. Either you really have been drinking too much Guinness of late or you threw the game."

Finn looked shocked "Too much Guinness! Erase those foul words from your mouth. I can't believe a friend of mine say something so heretical."

"And you just dodged the point of that remark."

Finn shrugged "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't. To be honest I reconsidered my terms, I didn't really want my face in print, might help the FBI find me faster. Besides I always enjoy a good blind date. Kind of a hobby of mine."

He turned back to Rory and quite bluntly changed the subject "How is the plan for the wedding shaping up?"

Colin jumped in now "You know I've been thinking about that and it seems rather rude of us to just invite ourselves along to a family occasion like that."

Three pairs of eyes rolled in his direction but Logan was the first to interject "Now Colin lets not be coy, what you have really been thinking is that you should have been paying more attention to the conversation and less to the newspaper so that you wouldn't be finding yourself in this particular pickle with the lovely Stephanie."

Colin grumbled but Rory picked up the thread of conversation "It's too late now for second thoughts, I already asked my grandmother and she was so thrilled that I was bringing more of my Yale friends that I'm sure that she will all but roll out the red carpet for you. I'd probably be disowned if you bail now."

Colin groaned and then looked up helplessly "So, no escape hatch?"

Rory shook her head sadly "Sorry, I think that lifeboat was thrown overboard the minute you chose these two reprobates as friends." She cocked both thumbs at the grinning Logan and Finn.

Colin sighed "Yeah. I knew that would end up biting me in the ass."

Logan slung an arm over his shoulder "Don't worry Romeo. We've got a plan to help you win the fair maiden's heart."

Colin's eyes widened in trepidation "A plan? Who came up with this plan? Please tell me you haven't been having committee meetings at the pub again."

Rory wrinkled her brow in confusion "Committee meetings?"

Logan threw his other arm around Rory "See Ace, and you say I don't have any extracurricular activities. Why Finn and I quite frequently meet in our incarnation as the Task Force for Successful relations with the Fairer Sex. The subcommittee that Colin is discussing is of course the Unrequited Love forum.'

Colin put his head down on the table and rolled it from side to side "you're right Gilmore, I should have run as fast and as far as I could from these lunatics when I had the chance."

Rory patted him on the back sympathetically "Buck up little camper. I'm on your side now and I will be at the wedding so I will do my best to keep them from public humiliation."

Finn sniffed "Unappreciated that's what we are mate, taken for granted. Now, what would dear Colin really do if we gave up and called it a hopeless case? He'd be crying alone in his Guinness and writing pathetic country and western songs about how the love of his life ran off with his dog or some such nonsense."

Colin rolled his shoulders and lifted his head to prop hi chin on his hands "Why can't you two just let go of this pipe dream. Has it occurred to you that maybe I don't want to have a relationship with Stephanie? That maybe I've accepted my lot in life. I'll always be the friend. The shoulder to cry on. She'll never see me as more than that and I'm fine with that."

Logan rolled his eyes dramatically in Rory's direction as if to say...see what I have to work with "Pity party for one please.'

Colin glared in his direction "Hey, we can't all happily float along and just happen to trip over our soul mate out on a nice little jaunt."

Rory flushed a little at this reference to she and Logan but kept her mouth shut as Logan interjected with more than a little exasperation that told her this was an old and oft repeated argument "oh please Colin you found your Juliet when you were eight. Don't you think it's about time you stopped moping around and did something about it?"

Logan had hit a sore spot and when Colin narrowed his eyes Rory could sense a fight brewing but Logan cut him off with a sigh. "Look if you don't' want our help I'm not going to force it on you. Good luck with the whole pining hermit thing."

Colin looked a little hurt but his tone belied this "Don't be one of those people Huntzberger. One of those guys who is lucky enough to find the right girl despite his checkered past and then starts preaching from the pulpit about how to find true love. I know your less than sterling side, and I'll say this you were damn fortunate to find a girl like Rory Gilmore who was willing to give you a chance. I wouldn't put on your robe and vestments and take the pulpit anytime soon if I were you."

Logan glared for a long moment before he rose from the table a bit stiffly "At least I'm not a coward. I'd so love to stay and exchange blows but I've got a class to get to. Hope your cross of martyrdom keeps you good company."

He was gone before Rory had time to respond and she gave the other two combatants a quick confused look before she was out of her seat to follow.

Silence fell at the table as Colin sighed in resignation and allowed his head to fall back to his hands. Finn bided his time considering the next step.

Surprisingly Colin was the one to break the silence his voice slightly muffled from his supplicant's position "Damn him."

Finn was surprised at this comment so he responded without thought "You know Logan means well, this is an old argument and you two will never see eye to eye on it."

Colin lifted his head slightly and looked at Finn "No, I meant damn it he's right. I hate that he is right, I REALLY hate it that he is right about this."

Finn noted a strange inflection in the last comment; a slight bitter twisting of the lips and a red flag went up. Caution wasn't usually Finn's bag but even he recognized flashing lights when he saw them "You mean because of that self-righteous thing...you were right about that, it was against the odds that he hooked up with Gilmore."

Colin gave him a long look as if weighing his words and then responded "No. That is irritating as all hell, some people just catch all the breaks...but no, I was talking about Fiji."

"Sun, sand, lots of rum and me driving a yacht into a reef ... good times but not much to do with this topic." The voice was carefully careless and left Colin feeling cold.

His retort was harsh "Would the driving of the yacht into the reef be before or after Logan and Stephanie were trying to swallow each other's tongues?"

Colin had known Finn long enough to read him even when he thought he was being very closed book and he saw the little breath before he launched into a counter maneuver. He felt the sinking in his heart when his worst fears were corroborated.

"Colin..."

Colin rubbed a hand over his face before he stopped Finn with a hand "Shit. I should have known there was more to that story. You're too easy a patsy."

Finn was resigned now and saw no point in beating around the bush "How did you find out?"

This laugh was sort of surprised "You'd be shocked at the things that Stephanie says when she is drunk, not much of a filter the minute the blood alcohol tips over the line."

Finn gave a sardonic little half smile "Dear girl never could hold her alcohol. How long?"

"Three months. End of summer party at the beach cabana. Stephanie was upset about something and got trashed and I put her to bed. I'm good at cleanup crew." This was said in a somewhat self-mocking tone "She was almost totally passed out on the bed but she grabbed my hand pulled me down to sit next to her. Looked at me with those eyes." At this he looked at Finn almost pleadingly "Since the day I met her I haven't been able to say no to those eyes."

Finn smiled slightly "You're not alone in that my friend."

"Yeah." His voice had a far away echo to it "She asked me then, what I was afraid of, why I never took a chance. I didn't have an answer, at least not one I wanted to admit. So I sat there frozen and she started to ramble about taking chances and mistakes...like Logan. At first I didn't know what she was talking about but then she was talking about the boat and Fiji and some crazy game of strip poker, at the time I couldn't really make sense of it and before I knew it she was crying. Asking me if I would ever forgive her. It broke my heart to see her so upset. She was dead to the world only moments later and I suddenly had all these new pieces of information that just didn't fit with the version of the story that I knew." Colin lifted haunted eyes to Finn's "She doesn't remember... any of it, not the confessions or the crying or the forgiveness. I got enough to know they kissed, pieced together the rest of what I guessed but I don't really know the whole story. I'm guessing the only people who know that are you and Logan and Stephanie."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, for once at a loss for words that would somehow make this right. "Are you sure you want to know that story? Do you think it will really make it better?"

Colin shook his head deliberately "no. I don't think it will make it better but this knowing just enough to imagine the worst case scenario is far far worse. I'm driving myself crazy. I want to be the guy that can forgive what was surely just pure folly but how can I dismiss it as a mistake if I don't know what really happened? If I don't know the simple truth."

Finn shook his head sadly "**The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."**

**Colin closed his eyes "Morrison you are like a brother to me but one more quote and I will take this rather dull knife to your pretty face."**

**Finn shook his head still with a bit of humor, always with humor "I'd say how Cain and Abel of you but I think that might get me carved up with the spoon instead and frankly after my run in with the terrifying Miss Gellar I think I've had my quota of death threats for the day. I'll tell you what I know but for the nitty gritty details you are going to have to ask Stephanie or Logan. Something I'm guessing you are loath to do."**

**Colin gave him a little half smile "You'd be surprised the courage that comes with insane love."**

She caught him in the courtyard and shouted his name "Geez Huntzberger, you training to outrun Michael Johnson?"

Logan gave her a sidelong glance that looked a little on the side of apprehensions. "Let me guess you're going to lecture me about being mean to poor little Colin.'

Rory shrugged and fell into step with him "Well, you were a little hard on him but I guess I understand why."

He looked a little startled at this "What do you mean you understand? I don't even understand, it's not that I meant to yell at him, it's just that it drives me crazy this stupid cycle he and Stephanie are in, seeing him get all worked up like this but never stepping up to the plate."

Rory nodded again "I do understand, it's the old kill two birds with one stone theory. You want your friend to be happy and you want to assuage your own guilt. It's not the most altruistic of motives but it's not wrong."

"You sound like you know this from experience."

Rory sighed as they came to a stop automatically in front of the first coffee kiosk they ran across in their meanderings Rory laughed a little as a girl behind them grumbled at their abrupt stop "maybe we need a bumper sticker that says will brake for coffee. Anyway, as I was saying, I do have a little experience of the hard won kind in this particular arena."

"With the whole Dean thing?" his voice was curious.

Rory sighed regretfully "Okay, I have a LOT of experience in this arena, I was thinking a little more ancient history than that. Have I ever told you about when Paris and I first met?"

Logan made a signal to the guy behind the counter for two large coffees and kept talking as he fished out a five. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of that little parable."

They took their coffee and landed on a bench nearby "Well Paris and I weren't so much friends as mortal enemies when we first met. There was a period where we delighted in antagonizing each other, I'm sure she would say, in perhaps more brutal terms that she hated my guts. Then there was a brief armistice, a mutual respect building, hope for a girl band...all of which was dashed when I made the mistake of kissing the class bad boy that she had a crush on. She didn't actually know about the kiss but I felt so guilty about the whole thing that I tried to set him up with her on a date. Mistakes compounded ten fold. I reasoned that it killed two birds with one stone, made her happy and made me feel less guilty. Needless to say when she found out about my collusion the gloves came off. Moral of the story. Sometimes you just have to live with your guilt and let your friends muddle their own way through the morass of love."

Logan gave her an admiring look "Boy Ace, you could give Cardinal Richelieu lessons in bungled scheming and can I just say that for a sweet and innocent looking girl you give new meaning to the term complicated."

Rory shrugged helplessly "Sorry to disappoint."

Logan pulled her close for a kiss "You never disappoint Ace, I just have to get used to these constant Days of Our Lives plot twists."

He rose from the bench "I will take your tale under advisement but for once I really do have a class calling my name and I'm thinking it will scold me if I ignore it... Modern British History is never a kind mistress. You're off to Stars Hollow tonight?"

She nodded "yeah, mother daughter bonding prior to horror of aisle walking."

He smiled "I'll see you tomorrow then, I'll be the one with the menagerie in tow."

"I'm sure I won't be able to miss you.'

Logan rolled his eyes expressively "Not even if you tried. Promise you won't pretend ignorance as to my identity when you see Finn's date?"

Rory raised an eyebrow teasingly "Don't worry Huntzberger, I've seen you in a suit, I assure you, I'll claim you. We'll just pretend that Finn wandered in off the street."

He grinned and walked backwards away from her "I like the way you think Gilmore." He threw her a kiss. "Tomorrow."

He vanished in a crowd of students hurrying towards their respective lecture halls and she stared at the ground in front of her for a few minutes sipping coffee thoughtfully until she caught herself humming again. Strange the things that falling in love made you do.

She ambled towards her dorm to prepare for girls' night with her mother and the tune floated after her.

"_A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view..."_


	39. The Age of Foolishness

Saturday dawned crystal clear, bright and flawless. One of those crisp sunny November mornings that tiptoed towards the chill of winter but still held that last dying breath of the warm memories of autumn. It was an auspicious beginning to a day that was to be a tribute to that most enigmatic of human emotions, the ever mysterious and eternally sought after, love.

The portent of that golden first light spilling through windows to warm those snuggled inside the confines of bed, couch and chair was not lost on any that stirred from the dark warm abyss of sleep to greet this fair day. Nor was it appreciated if one were to be completely truthful. Lorelai for one was not all that thrilled by the brightness or the clearness as she stretched from her cramped position on the couch and rolled her head lazily from one side to another with a slight moan. When would she learn that a 36-year-old body was not meant to sleep curled on a couch? Another couple of years of this and she was going to give Snap, Crackle and Pop some real competition. She rose to a seated postion with a nearly audible creaking of muscles and the king of all headaches and wondered idly whether she might lose to Algernon should an IQ test be administered this morning. She did remember her own name and at least a vague sketch of the past night's events so that was a point on her side. She slapped a hand over her eyes to keep them from bouncing right out of her head and lay there for a second in a miserable puddle contemplating the punishment that would be meted out for simply sinking back into the kind oblivion of sleep. Surely it couldn't be worse than this.

There was a knock that sounded more like a sledgehammer and she envisioned her options slipping silently away. When the knock was repeated with some vehemence she called out in a feeble attempt to stay the hand on the other side of the door.

"I'm coming. Hold the horses." Her voice came out more a croak than a shout and did not have it's desired effect on the hand so she staggered towards the door and swung it open to find a dapper Luke dressed as if for a funeral. Rather appropriate as she imagined that he looked forward to this event somewhat less than he might a good wake.

She gave him a once over and then a little smile played on her lips as she leaned in for a hello kiss "You are a sight for sore eyes Mr. Danes." She laughed but instantly regretted it as she clapped a hand back on the aching head, too early and too much rum ingested to make flirtation possible "And when I say sore eyes, that is not just a figure of speech." She whined.

Luke shook his head in an age-old symbol that all but shouted 'I told you so'. He had not in fact told her not to drink the rum but it was one of many calamities which fell under a sort of umbrella I told you so policy. Right up there on the list with never letting your mother show up at your house unannounced but then she had blindly stumbled into that rabbit hole despite any number of warnings shouted at her by her belatedly engaged rational brain. Undoubtedly the same part of her rational brain that Luke would probably claim was inhibited by consumption of said rum...all in all it was a vicious cycle and better not analyzed before coffee...LOTS of coffee.

With Luke trailing behind her she staggered into the kitchen, a room that at the moment vaguely resembled the pictures taken of the dining room of the Titanic, after it sank. She slumped into a chair and then shoved one out for Luke with her foot before closing both eyes in silent protest at the glaring sunshine. Whoever said that sunshine was cheerful and ...well, sunny was clearly not suffering from the effects of too much rum at the time of said pronunciation. Probably some overly pious teetotaler out to punish all the rum-drinking infidels.

She suddenly realized that while she had been off on her mental wanderings Luke had not taken the seat she had offered but rather had taken it upon himself to load the coffee machine which was now belching out steam of the coffee scented variety. Ah, God was good. God had not only seen fit to create the coffee that made such heavenly scented oxygen but had provided Saint Luke to make it for her on such an atrociously brilliant morning. It almost made up for the sunshine.

She gave a grateful sigh and opened one eye to see Luke standing a foot in front of her holding out a steaming mug. She reached out with both hands snagging the cup skillfully with one and his leg with the other. She set the mug just out of spilling distance on the table and then pulled him towards her. He came with little resistance until she had both arms around him and was looking up with a smile that flirted with the edges of her lips.

"Luke Danes have I told you I love you.'

He blushed, it never failed to amuse her that Luke 'I'm a tough guy' Danes blushed.

His voice was a little husky as he smiled back at her "I believe you've mentioned it... usually when you're clutching coffee in the other hand like you think it's manna from heaven. I'm beginning to think my only use to you is as a barista."

She smiled, that vibrant take the world by storm smile that made something in his chest just stop dead at the thought that she was his "Not only do I know you have many other uses..." she was delighted to see the blush darken "but as you'll note I actually put the coffee down, now not out of reach mind you, but it is clearly out of my death clutch." She held up both hands like a young child riding a bicycle for the first time and waving them around as they chanted 'look mom, no hands'. "You know what this means Saint Luke?"

"You were too hung over to keep a grip on the cup?"

"Please. Like that day would ever come. Hung-over Lorelai needs coffee like Dracula needs a transfusion... no my dear diner man, that means that this is the history making day where you supplanted coffee on the priority list. Now coffee is still right at your heels so I wouldn't get complacent if I were you, just when you think you have it made coffee will sneak up on you someday and go flying past, like Lance Armstrong and that French guy. Also, you will have to share the top billing with Rory, you know flesh and blood, only child, best friend, disturbing likeness to me, she's sort of got dibs on the top spot. Besides, I have to stay on her good side, someone has to take care of me when I'm old and I can no longer make it to the freezer to get the ice cream."

Luke laughed, helpless as always in the face of her infallible inanity "I love you too Lorelai Gilmore." They grinned like idiots for the second it took for their mouths to meet in a warm kiss that quickly escalated to searing.

It was a rather shrill voice that tore them from each other with a start "Lorelai." the voice trailed down the stairs and gave the kitchen inhabitants a shudder of ill-conceived trepidation "Lorelai, I have no idea where my other shoe is, and I don't understand how I ended up wearing these strange socks. Is this your idea of a joke?"

The socks were red and white and looked like something that either Pippi Longstocking or the Wicked Witch of the West would wear. They were the first thing that Luke saw round the corner into the kitchen, mostly because he was too horrified to focus his eyes above floor level. Lorelai had yet to unwrap her arms from his waist although now she had the coffee in one hand and she peered to the side of him to take in the glory that was Emily Gilmore after too much rum, a night in strange bed and a little help in the wardrobe department from yours truly.

"I happen to think the socks go perfect with your wedding dress, give it just a touch of the whimsical, besides they fulfill that whole something borrowed requirement. Your shoe if I remember correctly is in the oven and the coffee is on the counter if you want some...no servants and I may very well have an aneurysm if I stand so you'll have to get it yourself. "

The tone was overtly cheerful with that razor edge that Luke had come to recognize as Lorelai's version of getting along with her mother. It seemed the two rarely exchanged a word that didn't have some hidden slight or defense. He found it sad mostly but at the moment he would have opted for uncomfortable as the most accurate descriptor. He couldn't helped shuffling ever so slightly, there was something about Emily Gilmore that made him feel like a third grader again and reminded him of the time that he had gotten called to the board for a spelling bee and had misspelled Arkansas, it was stupid memory really but Luke hated being the idiot, hated looking the fool. Something in Emily Gilmore's prim and disapproving look put him right back in Mrs. Samson's class and the flush that crept up his neck didn't feel much different than it had at the age of 8.

Emily was still focused on her daughter and clearly determined to ignore as long as possible the man wrapped in her only child's arms. "What is my shoe doing in the oven?"

Lorelai shrugged and took another sip of coffee her temper starting to heat a bit at her mother's continued avoidance of Luke. Her tone was breezy "How should I know, do I look like the person who knows anything about the oven? I haven't used it since Luke fixed it. I wouldn't want to break it again after all his hard work."

Luke wasn't happy about her deliberate mention of his name, this time he would have been perfectly happy to be ignored. Emily looked at him as if only just noticing his presence "Oh, Luke, good morning." The tone implied that she thought it was anything but a good morning that found him standing in her daughter's kitchen. Awkward was a perfect word for the silence that fell heavily in the room.

"Good morning Emily" scrabbling for something to say he grabbed at the first thing that flitted through his brain "Would you like some coffee? I just made it fresh."

So saying he disentangled himself from Lorelai who only gave a little huff and crossed to the still steaming pot. "Lorelai is no joy to be around in the morning until she has had at least a few cups, I've given up on breaking her of that particular habit for my own safety and sanity."

He was rambling purely on nerves and missed the little narrowing of eyes at his affectionate familiar tone. Emily did not like it one bit that this man was so cozy in her daughter's house, in her granddaughters house. She hated more than she cared to admit that this man was more a part of their lives than she was. Regardless iron clad manners had her accepting the cup of coffee which she would admit if only silently was excellent. It took Rory wandering sleepily into the kitchen and staring at the socks with a mumbled question about her whether she were trapped in Oz to register the fact that she was still standing in Lorelai's kitchen sans shoes and with ridiculous striped socks up to her knees and Luke was dressed like some member of the Stars Hollow Mafioso.

Oh my god...the wedding!

After that the morning was a scramble. The errant shoe was retrieved from the oven although no one could quite agree on how it came to reside there. Emily rushed off to make last minute arrangements all thoughts of the scene in the kitchen momentarily forgotten in the throes of excitement. Rory and Lorelai showered and dried and generally did what girls do before a walk down any aisle where everyone would be watching them if only for their fifteen seconds in the spotlight.

They grabbed garment bags, shoes, sundry girl supplies resembling various medieval torture implements that Luke did not recognize and wasn't afraid to admit he hoped never to come into close acquaintance with and Luke himself and made a dash for the car. The car ride there was enough to lighten the mood from preparing for a good guillotining to at least a good let them eat cake speech. There was the prerequisite stop for additional caffeinated supplies, the inevitable squabble over proper car music when one is going to what they had come to refer to as the re-wedding. All in all Luke would have preferred that the car ride last a little longer, like maybe until tomorrow. Alas the fates were not with him today and even as they slid to a stop in the drive he was wishing that an earthquake would occur that would open up a nice canyon right in front of him, even a one man crevice would have sufficed. Lorelai stopped as they disembarked from the car and waved for Rory to meet them inside before she turned to Luke. She adjusted his tie, an affectionate and thoughtless gesture that had Luke relaxing slightly. No matter what happened today he was here with Lorelai, the woman he loved, they would survive the lions and the fire-breathing dragons together.

She leaned up and kissed him and then spoke low and silky into his ear "Have I told you how much I owe you for coming with me today?"

That had his lips quirking and an eyebrow raising "A lot. You owe me a lot."

She smiled in clear invitation up at him "Don't worry Mr. Danes, I'm good for it."

He met her lips and took her deep with a solid kiss that backed her up a step into the side of the car. The squeal of tires on asphalt broke the spell and she just gave him a wickedly lazy smile "To be continued." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the entrance. "Come on, much as I wish it weren't true, they are waiting for us."

Logan was just straightening his tie when the knock sounded on the door. He didn't bother to answer it presuming correctly that it would sing open without invitation in mere seconds. The first of the revelers to arrive was not surprisingly Finn. If there was one thing Finn was always on time for it was a wedding. He was followed closely by Colin who had the look of a man being led to the noose.

Logan sized his friends up with a practiced glance, Finn looked dapper, pressed and dressed to impress but the gay smile on his face had Logan suspecting that he might have had a bit of encouragement in the liquid form to jump start his celebratory mood. Colin looked fidgety and anxious although equally well coiffed.

Colin's first words confirmed his jumpy state as he muttered half to himself and half to the room "I can't believe you talked me into this. You'd think I would have learned by now not to listen to the two of you, maybe I need a CAT scan or a therapy session or something." He lowered his head to his hands and appeared to be contemplating the best way to dig his way through the floor to China.

Finn smirked a tad too happily "Pessimism does not become you Colin."

He spoke without raising his head " It's not pessimism, its realism, something the two of you are sorely lacking."

Finn just grinned his Cheshire cat grin "It's part of our charm."

Logan grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and joined the conversation "Come on old man it's just a date, dancing, liquor and a few professions of undying love. All in a good day's work, all you have to do is follow the plan and you'll be singing our praises by tomorrow."

Colin looked at him in clear doubt "Singing praises to the two of you? " he shook his head as if to clear it "This could be the first signs of dementia...maybe I should call my doctor right now." He had barely shifted his weight when Logan's hand closed over his arm and stalled him in his stride.

Logan turned his head towards Finn and gestured with his other hand "Give the flask to Colin." His tone didn't invite argument but that had never stopped Finn before and wasn't about to now.

He gave Logan his patented guileless expression tinged with just a hint of maligned honor. "What flask? I believe you were present at the signing of the contract on a moratorium of pre-wedding alcohol consumption."

Logan rolled his eyes "Since when has a little blood oath stopped you?"

Finn pondered "Good point." He produced the flask from his coat pocket and held it just out of Logan's reach "This had better be for a good cause though."

Logan smiled "What cause is nobler than true love?"

Finn grimaced "That was a low blow, appealing to my sensitive side."

Logan took the flask and handed it to Colin with a glance back at Finn "The last thing we need to throw a wrench into this little plan of ours is Colin having an apoplexy and faint dead away at the sight of Stephanie. Geez, you'd think the poor boy was the one about to get hitched today."

"I am insulted by the insinuation that I might faint. I'm not some feeble girl you know." Colin's voice was laced with affront.

Finn cocked an eyebrow at him "I don't know Colin, I know many a fair lass that would pay good money for a complexion that alabaster shade."

Colin glared at his two best friends before he took a healthy swig of the liquid that burned it's way down his throat and had his eyes widening. "Jesus Finn what the hell are you drinking? Battery Acid?"

Finn grinned "My own little recipe. Not for the faint of heart."

Colin sighed and closed his eyes as if debating with his inner demons the wisdom of the course he had set. When he opened them there was an air of resignation in their depths. "Okay, tell me again how this plan is supposed to work."

Finn clapped a hand on his shoulder and led him to the couch "It goes a little like this. You're at a wedding, romance is in the air, you flirt, you dance, you have the DJ play your song and you profess your utter adulation for her. Simple really...nothing too it."

"We don't have a song."

Finn sighed, "I feel like I'm talking to a wall here and I'm beginning to hear an echo because I could swear we had this exact discussion yesterday. Pick a song...doesn't matter what song, you just have to come up with a sappy reason for why you picked it...maybe it reminds you of the barrette she used to wear in the fourth grade or the time you held her hair while she was puking or that time that you fell asleep with her in Toronto and woke up convinced you'd had a stoke because half your body was asleep from her sleeping on you. Good times."

Colin glared at him "That is a horrible romantic story."

"Yeah, but it's damn hilarious."

"Glad I could be the punch line in your monologue but if I have to have a comedian I think I'd rather have Jay Leno as a friend." Colin had that stubborn set to his chin taht signified he was readying for an argument.

Finn just laughed him off "No way, he's kind of scary with that bobble head of his...besides he can't compete with my lovable nature."

Colin scoffed and was about to interject another snide remark when Logan jumped in. "Stop stalling Colin. You know we just want to help and you know that you don't have a better idea so just give it a try. What have you got to lose?"

Colin's quip was sharp "You mean besides my self-respect and one of my best friends? And don't even get me started on thinking about the sensation of having one's heart stomped into the ground."

Logan waved a hand "Excuses, all of them. You have no self-respect when it comes to Stephanie. Haven't since the day she talked you into picking those lilies. You know as well as we do that your friendship is a sham if you don't ever take a chance and tell her how you really feel and you can't fool me for a minute into thinking that your heart isn't pulverized every time you see her kiss some other lucky fool."

Colin considered for one long moment the automatic cutting remark that sprung to his lips...the urge to confront Logan once and for all about Fiji but he couldn't do it, if he did it now it wouldn't be about resolution, it would be about creating another excuse to not take a chance. He did want to take the chance he just couldn't seem to get past this lump of fear and myriad emotions that had built themselves in his chest like a tumor since the first time he had watched Stephanie kiss some other lucky lucky boy, since the first time she had come to him in tears wanting a shoulder to cry on. He had known it was a mistake, making himself the best friend, picking up the pieces time and again and putting them back together just so that some other guy could shatter her again but he hadn't been able to say no, to turn her away. His heart wouldn't let him. So he suffered silently...their friendship was real but maybe Logan wasn't that far off the mark in his analysis. Maybe it wasn't real until he either embraced or released these feelings he had kept hidden for so long. He didn't know how much longer he could stay silent and watch her try out guy after guy looking for Mr. Right. The day she found that guy he would despise himself for not taking this chance, for always waiting as if the perfect time and opportunity would just fall in his lap. He was tired of waiting for fate to give him a push, he was about to give it a big old shove of his own. He looked back at his friends and grimaced slightly...it looked like these two were about the best allies he was likely to find.

Colin shook his head in disbelief and took another slug from the silver flask in his hand and then looked down at the intricate metal work on its side. His voice was low when he spoke. "You're right."

Finn smiled broadly "Of course we are..."

Colin's voice stopped him "You're right about taking a chance but you're wrong about the method. That plan is signature Finn, with a little Huntzberger finesse thrown in and either of you could carry it off with flawless execution. It's not my style though and it wouldn't be real, not for me, it would be like playing the part of someone else and the whole point of taking a risk is that I don't want to play a part with Stephanie anymore." He stopped a comment from Logan with a hand. "No, I've got to do it my own way."

Finn nodded his head in agreement "What are you going to do?"

Colin leaned his head back on the chair to stare at the ceiling with blind eyes and then rolled his head back and forth in denial "I have no idea... but I'll let you know when I figure it out."

The knock on the door broke the moment of contemplative silence like a gunshot in the woods and Logan yelled for the person to enter.

Colin knew who it was without looking; there was just something about how the air changed when she came into, like it thickened into a sort of syrup. His head came up with a snap and he took another rather large swig from the flask to steal his courage. He swiped the back of his hand across his mouth and made a truly horrific face at the liquid currently searing his esophagus but was careful to wipe this expression from his face in the second it took for the door to swing open. Finn wasn't close enough so Logan smoothly intercepted the passed flask and palmed it into his pocket just as Stephanie came into view and had Colin wishing for about another gallon of the caustic stuff.

He couldn't stop the ingrained male response to seeing a beautiful woman as his eyes trailed less than subtly over the smooth red silk that cloaked Stephanie from neck to ankles. It was perfectly proper, covered most of her skin and left little to the imagination. She looked like an add for debauchery and sin, all wrapped up in a pretty package. It was when his eyes trailed back up to her face and met her wry smile and one delicately arched eyebrow that he began to sweat. He felt his mouth go dry and wished again for another belt of Finn's poison.

Finn broke the awareness that seemed to have cloaked the room when he grasped both of Stephanie's hands and pulled her into the room "Darling you do make an excellent lady in red. All sweet and scrumptious like a candy apple."

Stephanie laughed, the sound of pure chime clear tones ringing in Colin's head. "Now Finney, I thought we agreed you were going to save that silver tongue of yours for your date."

Finn winked "Don't worry sweet thing, there is plenty to go around."

Colin groaned inwardly and wished for once in his life that he had Finn's gift for the outrageous, that he could be the one spouting poetry and flirting shamelessly.

Finn saw the look in Colin's eye...the one that said he was still hesitating at the edge of that precipice and sighed. Apparently Colin was going to need a few more good prods before the night was over. No better time than the present. He offered his arm to Stephanie and gave her a sly grin "You know love, I could always be persuaded to take you as my second date. I've always wanted to be the sheik with the harem."

Colin had always been the cautious one. The one who dipped one toe in the water to test it's temperature and even then never did a flying cannonball but rather eased himself into the water with enough time to adjust to the new environment. He liked routine, he like the comfort of certainty and the commonplace. He'd never been one to literally or figuratively rock the boat. It was probably a big reason he was friends with the two Looney Tunes characters that called themselves Finn and Logan.

This...the banter and flirtation between Finn and Stephanie...this was routine. It was banal nothingness but tonight it chafed and he was tired of it. Tired of being the audience to this two-man play. He was going to take a chance and if he was going to do it he wasn't goign to stick his toe in first, this time he was going to dive in with a big old splat and the consequences be damned. It was now or never. He couldn't lose something he had never really had so it was time to make it his.

He stepped forward smoothly to take Stephanie's arm in a grasp more proprietary than she had ever seen from him "No need for such sacrifice Finn. It would be my pleasure to escort Stephanie anywhere she wants to go."

He looked at Stephanie and she was certain that he was unaware that his eyes spoke volumes despite the slight friendly curvature of lips. She smiled up at him automatically although her mind was racing behind those merrily dancing eyes "A girl couldn't ask for the company of a better gentleman."

Colin smiled "Good, then we might as well head for the car, I think that Finn has a date of his own to retrieve."

Stephanie looked askance at Finn and Logan "Right, of course, the mystery date. Where is she?"

Finn closed his eyes as if in some sort of mortal pain "Well, it seems that due to my less than fortuitous loss of a recent wager, Paris Gellar...that's Woodward's roommate, has taken it upon herself to provide me with female companionship for the evening."

Stephanie burst out laughing, "I've met Paris Gellar... I still have nightmares. I just can't believe that you let Paris the Piranha set you up with a wedding date? That's like handing a Kim Jong-il the launch codes to a nuclear weapon. There are stories about the men that Paris has reduced to dust...I think she collects their teeth as trophies and wears them on a necklace. A source of her evil power. That must have been some bet you lost. What were the stakes the pink slip to your soul?

Finn gave her a disgruntled look "It might have been good to know that before I let her win."

Stephanie's eyes widened even further in clear enjoyment of the moment "I always knew that soft side of yours would sink you in the end Morrison. This is one backfired scheme that may reform you for life. "

Finn neared a whine but an ill-founded hope remained in the tone "Maybe she won't be that bad."

There were three snorts of laughter at that clearly deluded comment and Finn's eyes narrowed until they caught the gleam of cunning "Well, lucky for me I have my friends there to run interference for me." He emphasized the word friends in a way that had them all shivering and started a dance of shaking heads.

Logan was the one who voiced the obvious opinion "Not a chance in hell Morrison. This is one bed you're going to have to lie in all by yourself."

Finn turned on his heel with a grumble "Fair weather friends...that's what you are, a bunch of fickle, unfaithful deserters. See if I save you next time you dig yourself into a pit."

He trailed the group out the door still grumbling under his breath and glaring at Logan's back when he realized that he had never gotten that flask back. He was going to have to work on his pickpocket skills.

Stephanie and Colin headed for the limo and Logan went with Finn to retrieve the mystery girl claiming he needed moral support but mostly because he figured it would be good for a laugh.

Paris opened the door on the first knock and Finn felt a little quiver of apprehension at the sanctimonious smile that greeted him. This did not bode well. The voice was even worse, all smooth and self-satisfied and nearing a purr of delight "Mr. Morrison, lovely day isn't it. I'm glad you are on time. Punctuality is an admirable trait even in a scoundrel." Paris nodded past him at an amused Logan "Huntzberger."

Logan tipped his head in acknowledgement laughing inside at the overtly polite tone. "Gellar." Gellar was definitely up to something and now her smile took on that toothy gloating quality that usually signified that the person believes they have gotten your goat.

Finn, who considered himself goat less, took this as a rather blatant challenge to his skill as an intellectual opponent and met the smile with one that all but proclaimed 'bring it on sister'. "So where is she? This mysterious fair damsel of yours. I've been on pins and needles all day in anticipation of meeting her."

Paris looked as if she were rather enjoying the image of Finn on pins and needles. Logan watched this mental pawing of the earth with nothing short of sheer enjoyment.

Paris nodded towards her bedroom, "She's just finishing getting ready, wouldn't do for a lady to appear to eager."

Finn looked slightly skeptical "Tell me you haven't been giving her lessons. I'd call you many things dear heart but an expert on ladylike manners isn't one of them."

Paris stiffened slightly but the fact that she didn't outright slice his head from his shoulders certainly indicated that she had an ace up her sleeve and was willing to wait for delayed gratification. "Touché Morrison, but I think I'll stay on my lofty perch rather than wallowing in the muck with you."

Finn wiggled his eyebrows "Now that is a shame. Angry chicks often look their best covered in mud...brings out their dirty side."

She just gave a harrumph and left the room presumably to collect the aforementioned date. He turned to Logan "Can you imagine Gilmore and that one in the mud wrestling pit...talk about the stuff of fantasy."

Logan's smile was droll "More like a wet dream for the perverse and sadistic and I'd thank you to keep my girl out of your fantasies. I don't share."

Finn pouted "You were definitely more fun when you weren't on a leash."

Logan knew it was meant as an insult but failed to rise to the bait "Rather be on a leash any day than picturing Gellar in mud that just smacks of desperation or a death wish."

Finn shrugged "What can I say, just call me the Marquis de Sade."

Logan laughed, "I do. Often."

They sobered as Paris returned with a petite brunette in tow. She was pretty, in a quiet unassuming way. That was the first surprise. She did not have any body piercing, tattoos, or spiked orange hair nor was she wearing a nun's habit. That was the second surprise. She looked sweet, innocent, a classic wallflower and aside from a certain penchant for slightly medieval dress as evidenced by the long rather elaborately embroidered purple dress, she looked perfectly normal. Logan was beginning to think that Paris was either the Edward Scissorhands of Yale, a sensitive human being behind the slashing blades or had far exceeded even the Machiavellian craftiness that he gave her credit for. He settled in for the show.

"Finn Morrison I would like you to meet my cousin Alice Gellar."

Logan caught Finn giving Paris' companion the once over and he must have been relieved at what he saw because his lips twitched and then curved into his practiced Don Juan smile and he was all charm as he entered the room a step further and took the girl's soft hand, lifting it to his lips for a gallant kiss. "Lovely to meet you Alice, that is a lovely name for a lovely girl."

She giggled a little and blushed before raising her eyes to his with a shy coquettishness born of innocence. Logan thought the entranced staring might go one for a while but she surprised him when she spoke her voice soft but more compelling than expected "Actually I've never liked the name, makes people think I'm some dolt who falls down rabbit holes and plays cricket with caterpillars."

Finn smiled at this somewhat unexpected remark "Point well taken. I will be sure never to make that particular assumption."

Alice, not of white rabbit fame, continued with a thoughtful tone clearly warming to her topic "Actually I've been thinking of changing my name. I'm thinking of Arwen, it means Evenstar... do you like it?"

Finn slanted a look at Logan that could be roughly interpreted as 'what the hell?' but he persevered "Arwen? That's a pretty name, it sounds sort of familiar." He trailed off leaving the question hanging and the wallflower smiled brilliantly transforming into a rose before their eyes.

"It would be after Arwen, the daughter of the lord of Rivendell. She is such a heroine, I want to be her." she sighed as if caught in some fantasy and Logan forcibly swallowed a chuckle as she focused back on Finn now with shining eyes "Don't you think it would romantic to be an elf?"

Finn seemed for once without a glib retort. Oh, he was an avid supporter of the world of fantasy but this particular venue was a little beyond his purview. "Uh...sure." it was the closest Logan had heard to uncertainty for the imperturbable Finn but he rallied "I'm sure I could be a top notch elf."

Logan watched as Alice aka Arwen's brows drew together in confusion then smoothed into understanding and when she spoke her voice was slow as if speaking to someone who is clearly missing a few of their marbles. "Oh no, you can't be an elf. You're Aragorn... obviously."

Logan barely contained a snort of laughter and from his position behind Finn he tipped an imaginary hat in Paris' direction in admiration, this coup was completely gloat-worthy.

Logan couldn't hold in a chuckle at Finn's slanted look of incomprehension but if there was one thing Finn was good at it was bluffing. "Right. Of Course. I'm Aragorn...Prince of...' he let his voice trail artfully and she happily supplied the rest of the information.

"Gondor, crowned the King, one of the bravest warriors of the latter day human race and powerful ruler in Middle-earth."

Finn puffed up his chest "Right, obviously, that does sound rather like me come to think of it. Aragorn it is then."

She turned to Logan next "And you can be Legolas. He is a brave elf warrior and part of the Fellowship. It's a pleasure to share your company."

Logan smiled wickedly at Finn and then grasped her hand delicately "The pleasure is all mine Lady Evenstar."

Finn coughed and gave Logan a good glare before turning towards Alice with a gracious smile. "We'd better be going." Finn held the door open for them all determined not to let Paris Gellar know that she had gotten him even a little unsettled. "We wouldn't want the coach to leave us stranded."

Alice smiled "Yes, of course, we mustn't' keep the elf steeds waiting. I'll just get my cloak."

Logan sidled over to Finn and they stood watching as she pulled a folded piece of velvet off the chair and unfurled it. The cloak was a thing of beauty, royal purple velvet that fell to her feet and had a pointed hood. Logan surreptitiously slipped the flask back in Finn's pocket and gave it a pat. "I'm thinking you might be needing this." He turned to the now ebullient evil cousin and sent her a droll wink "Masterful Gellar. Next time I need a good coup you're hired."

Paris smirked "I'm not sure I'd hire myself out as a mercenary to the likes of you but I do pretty well when it's personal. Have fun Morrison and I'd be on your best behavior, if you have such a thing, otherwise she might cast a spell on you, legend has it that elves have the most powerful of magic."

Logan was humming happily as he exited, neatly avoiding the scathing glare from Finn. He sallied forth with a near skip his step "You know I've heard death glares don't work on elves, rumor is we're magical."

Logan didn't quite catch the muttered comment but it sounded a bit like "Traitor."

Logan slid into the limo first to be greeted by an already cheery and slightly tipsy Stephanie and Colin who appeared to be valiantly trying to keep up. Steph leaned forward with a gleeful look in her eyes "So, what is it? Librarian glasses or spiked hair or a dominatrix outfit?"

Logan leaned back with the look of someone who knows a killer secret and isn't above flaunting his superior knowledge a bit "You'll have to see for yourself. I would so hate to spoil the effect. I will give Gellar kudos though for a superb effort. Remind me never to tick her off."

They watched as the cloak clad girl slid daintily into the car followed by Finn and Steph leaned over to whisper in Logan's ear "I don't get it, she looks normal enough except for the choice of overcoat."

Logan smirked "Just wait."

Finn gave a wan smile and then immediately started opening a bottle of champagne as he gestured to the girl. "Alice this is Stephanie and Colin."

Stephanie held out a hand "Hi Alice, welcome to our merry band. I hope you have a good time tonight. Finn here is known for being a wonderful escort." A bit of an exaggeration but then hyperbole had always been Finn's strong suit. Alice then cocked a considering head at Stephanie. "Aragorn." She said absently "His name is Aragorn tonight. You could definitely be Eowen. Do you ride horses?"

Stephanie gave first Finn who was currently downing champagne straight from the bottle and then Logan a perplexed look but then played along "Not since I was a kid, why do you ask?"

Alice considered with pursed lips "Well, that's not quite right then, you being a lady of Rohan and all but I guess you'll have to do."

Stephanie gave her an uncertain smile "Sorry to disappoint."

Alice waved her hand as if it were of no consequence "We'll make it work"

In the midst of this conversation Colin had started an appraisal of his own as he looked at Stephanie and now he spoke up "You know Alice that's brilliant. She does look rather like the character and she has that whole indomitable spirit thing down...ignore the lack of horsewoman skills and you've definitely got yourself a White Lady of Ithilien." He smiled approvingly at Alice and extended his hand. "Colin. It's a pleasure to meet a lady with such obviously discerning taste. Not sure how you ended up with a bloke like Finn."

Alice looked at him with a shy smile "I prefer Arwen." She looked him up and down "A staid name like Colin doesn't fit an appreciator of the arts such as yourself, you have to be Faramir. It's so fitting, mild and sensitive but also wise and brave."

Colin kissed her hand delicately "You flatter me with such a proud name." He smiled at her "And may I say that legend of your beauty doesn't do justice to the real thing. You are surely the most exquisite being in Middle earth."

She blushed and giggled and the other three members of the fellowship blinked in sheer astonishment and looked at one another Finn spoke first in a low whisper in Logan's direction "Any idea where this Middle earth place is?"

Logan shrugged "Vermont or maybe the Twilight Zone?"

Colin rolled his eyes at this whispered conversation "It's from Lord of the Rings you idiots. You know J.R.R. Tolkein, famous author, blockbuster movies, everyone raving about them for like the last four years. Do you all exist in a vacuum where culture does not survive or something?"

"Ah, I remember now, that was that movie I fell asleep in three times. Too much talking and not enough naked scenes although the elf chick was hot." Finn went back to his love affair with the bottle of bubbly.

Colin's retort was dry "A stunning commentary." he turned towards his new best friend with an apologetic smile "You'll have to forgive my ignorant friends."

Alice sighed and shook her head sadly as she looked back at Finn "I guess it was too much to expect that he have the looks, charisma AND the brains. At least I have you as my kindred spirit. I think that somehow I can persevere."

Stephanie leaned over to Logan now "Any idea what language they are speaking?"

Logan shook his head "I'm thinking Tolkeinite."

"Gellar has a twisted sense of humor." Stephanie commented with a dry tone.

Logan laughed, "Yes she does, got to give her points for creativity though."

"Yeah." Stephanie's tone was absentminded and somewhat lacking in enthusiasm. She reached across Logan and grabbed at the bottle of champagne in Finn's hands "Hey Lord of the Drink save some for the rest of us."

Finn hugged the bottle to his chest and glared at her "Get your own horsewoman."

Logan chuckled "Now children, I'm sure there is plenty for everyone." So saying he dug another bottle out of the icebox and opened before he quite solicitously offered it to Stephanie. "See, here's one all your own."

Stephanie grabbed the bottle with less than good humor and took a sip before she turned and watched with narrowed eyes as Colin and Alice chatted with great animation not liking one bit the little snarky comment that wanted to rise to her lips. A comment that just smacked of something akin to jealousy. Luckily she was saved from the need to comment by their arrival at the country club.

She sighed with relief and grabbed Colin's hand in casual possession as she brought his attention to the fact that they had arrived. "We're finally here."

Colin blinked at her "Already? That was fast."

She gritted her teeth unconsciously and muttered under her breath a comment that only Logan caught "Felt like a frigging millennium to me."

Logan raised an eyebrow as he caught the tense set of Stephanie's shoulders and the jaw that was flexing slightly. This strained expression was completely out of character for Stephanie and if he wasn't mistaken the emotion that had those muscles clenched was none other than jealousy. Now this was shaping up to be an interesting evening and might even turn out much better than expected. As the driver opened the door and Stephanie and Alice slid out first Logan grabbed Colin by the arm and cocked his head "Care to tell me what that was all about?"

Colin smiled, feeling in good spirits for the first time that night "I have a plan."

Logan watched him slide out of the car and offer Stephanie his arm and laughed to himself ... the nice guy might have a chance after all.


	40. The Best of Times

Logan slid out of the limo and straightened only to be greeted by Finn's head popping out the sunroof. He only sighed as he watched his clearly tipsy friend climb out of the opening and clamber down the hood of the limo managing by some miracle to land on his feet. Finn was rather like a cat that way, the whole nine lives and landing on your feet wives tales quite true to life.

Finn smiled as he landed and winked at Logan before offering his arm to Alice and proceeding towards the club "I'll have you know good sir that princes never use doors."

Logan rolled his eye but then hurried to catch up. He beat Finn to the door by a few steps, which afforded him enough time to get a scant glance of the set up, and a chance to direct the group of misfits before they stumbled into more trouble.

Luckily there wasn't much time before the ceremony started so Logan herded them all towards the great room with one eye looking out for Rory. He peeled off to one side when he spied her talking to Lorelai down the long hall to the side of the reception hall. He snuck up behind her putting finger to his lips for silence when Lorelai spied him over Rory's shoulder. His breath tickled her neck and made her start in surprise "Wedding date reporting for duty." He saluted smartly.

She spun towards him with a ready smile and gave him a little kiss before she backed away and looked down the hallway behind him "Where's the cavalcade?"

"They are already safe and sound in their seats... at least I hope they are. I left Colin in command."

Rory nodded solemnly "I hope he's up to the task."

Logan grimaced slightly "I'm not sure anyone is really up to that task...Finn might have had a wee bit o' the drink on the way here."

Rory raised one eyebrow "Might have?"

"Well he was a bit upset by his mystery date and he needed a bit of soothing."

Rory raised an eyebrow "That bad huh? What did Paris do this time? Tell me she didn't send that mean chick from the debate team?"

Logan looked thoughtful "No, although that would have been equally amusing. No she sent some girl who is a total Lord of the Rings fanatic and has renamed us all as part of the cast of characters."

Rory couldn't stop the snicker as her eyes widened "Oh my god, she sent Alice?"

Logan gave her an inquisitive look "I take it you are acquainted with our young elf princess."

Rory smiled wickedly "She sort of a legend in the Gellar clan. Has she spoken in elvish yet?"

Logan looked taken aback "Can't say we've had that pleasure."

Rory smirked "Well, the evening is young. Gellar was certainly in fine form with this one. I guess the hapless Finn deserved a bit of liquid refreshment. Just make sure he doesn't cat call my grandmother when she walks down the aisle and I think we'll be okay."

Logan turned and took a grinning Lorelai's hand for a kiss "Hello Lorelai. You look wonderful tonight. Definitely not like the mother of the best man." He gave her a little wink.

Lorelai smiled in appreciation "Logan. I'd say you clean up nice but I don't believe I've ever seen you NOT in a suit or a tuxedo. I'm beginning to fear that perhaps you are a clone of either Donald Trump or James Bond. Although I'll be honest when I say I'm hoping it's not Trump because frankly no amount of money makes that hair acceptable. That man needs a major hair intervention,"

Logan chuckled "Bond it is then."

Lorelai nodded with her eyes twinkling before she tilted her head to one side "You would make a passable Roger Moore although then I'd have to dislike you just on principle because he was my least favorite Bond, maybe Sean Connery." She paused as if considering "Can you do a passable Scottish accent?"

"Not without a few pints under my belt."

Lorelai nodded "Well, nothing like a bit of the 'Wee Heavy' to bring out the Scot in us all. Well, I'm off, I'm on deck first and Emily would have me strung from the chandelier if I'm late." She left with a jaunty little wave.

He turned back to Rory for a quick kiss, she smiled and gave him a good once over "You look quite handsome by the way. "

He looked her up and down taking in the smart little black suit that showed every delicate curve and then gave her a little wink "So do you Ace. You auditioning to be the fifth Beetle later?"

She smacked his arm lightly but her eyes were smiling. The music signaled the beginning of the ceremony and she nodded at the door to the left "That's my cue." She blew him a kiss before joining her grandfather at the door.

He watched her for a moment wondering at the heady feeling that always seemed to follow contact with her. Then he turned on his heel and headed for his seat.

The ceremony was beautiful, simple, elegant, marred only once by a resounding wolf whistle from Finn when Lorelai walked down the aisle. A whistle which was rapidly silenced by a hand clapped over the mouth and whispered threats so dire to his manhood that not even Finn was imbecilic enough to ignore them. Not that keeping Finn from procreating was such a bad plan regardless. Lorelai gave Logan a little wink and he just rolled his eyes expressively. Then settled back to watch the rest of the ceremony.

Even given what he knew of this family, of the tensions and imperfections that lay behind the facade, it was hard to imagine two people so clearly in love as Richard and Emily Gilmore. They practically glowed with it, and the radiance was distributed to the faces of daughter and granddaughter. A family, united in that one perfect moment of happiness. His eyes drifted to Lorelai and watched as she sent one of those secretive glances at someone in the front row who he assumed was Luke. Then he felt his gaze drawn inexorably towards Rory and he was mesmerized. Her smile, that brilliant smile that lit her eyes and made those cerulean orbs sparkle was turned on him full force, for the space of a heart beat they existed in the world alone, the hundred guests around them melting into nothingness, and he felt the heat of that gaze as real as a physical caress. He almost shivered as he felt her gaze leave him, drawn back to the ceremony in progress.

It left him shaken. That intense connection that only seemed to be getting stronger with time. At first it had been a subtle burn but now they all but sparked off one another when they were in the same vicinity. Lust for him was usually a transient thing; something that burned bright in the dark of night, when the excitement of the chase was at its pinnacle but paled noticeably in the light of day once the prey was caught.

This was different. This felt like watching a fire flicker to life, the spark that led to the slow burn that sizzled and grew until it became a roaring inferno that bathed all the room in dancing, dazzling, entrancing light. One could be mesmerized by those every changing flames, drawn into the altered world they illuminated. He could feel himself slipping deeper, farther, faster than he had ever imagined. The scare and the thrill of that freefall were more powerful than any adrenaline rush he had experienced before.

His attention snapped back from his mental meanderings and focused on the stage set before him. As he shook to clear it of these wandering cobwebs of emotions he found new and unfamiliar. Tonight he was here to have fun, he would think about the edge of that cliff tomorrow.

Then the march was commencing, the happy couple was leading the parade followed closely by daughter and granddaughter who exchanged playful happy glances and then peeled off to find their respective beaus. Logan watched her come to him waylaid only once or twice by well-wishers until she stood in front of him. He held out a hand and pulled her back away from the door keeping them in the room after most of the guests had moved into the main reception hall. He leaned forward ever so slightly and met her lips with his taking her deep. His last thoughts trickled through what little active brain cells remained in the face of such mind erasing passion. He was in way over his head and loving every minute of it.

Need for oxygen eventually over rode even their eclipsed mental powers and they parted slightly still breathing a little heavily.

"Not that I'm complaining but what was that about?" her voice was pitched low so it didn't carry beyond his ears.

He grinned and smoothed back an errant curl that had escaped it's pin "What can I say Ace, cross-dressing works for you."

She smiled wickedly "I'll remember that Huntzberger. Now we had better join the others before they send out a search party. Besides I don't want to miss the first dance."

She clasped his hand and they walked into the main hall looking for their table. It wasn't hard to find what with Finn doing a rousing chorus of 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. Rory gave Logan a look that implied dire consequences if this activity did not come abruptly to a halt...and soon. "How much alcohol did you say Finn had on the ride here?"

Logan cleared his throat a little sheepishly "Well, there was the pre-pre-party that I suspect but can not verify, then there was the bottle of champagne in the limo and what ever he managed to consume from the flask when I wasn't looking during the service..." he trailed off at Rory's horrified look "I'm not helping am I?"

Rory shook her head and pointed at the table as a bawdy rendition of something that sounded suspiciously like an Irish drinking song drifted towards their ears "That has to stop at least until the other guests are drunk enough not to remember who they came with. I have to find my mom and Luke so your job is to deal with the Doobie Brothers."

Rory gave him a kiss that was a far sight more chaste than the previous one and they parted ways. Thankfully the ballad ended as Logan came to a stop in front of the table.

Finn toasted him with a bottle of champagne "Howdy Lover boy. Saw the kiss...have to say you two seriously need to work on your PDA, that was the most pathetic example I've seen in a long time and from you of all people Huntzberger...you've shamed my good name. I can't give that more than a 4.5" Finn took a deep sip of the champagne straight from the bottleneck.

Logan rolled his eyes "I see we've progressed to the Man Show portion of the evening."

Finn turned his attention to Logan with a little squint that suggested that perhaps there were more than one of Logan in his sights "Oh poppycock, I'm Aragorn, prince among men. I don't have to explain such behavior to you light footed elves." He laid his head back and stared admiringly at the ceiling that was dripping with chandeliers.

Logan laughed before he looked at Alice sitting next to his clearly inebriated friend "Are there any court jesters in Middle earth because I'm thinking that might be a more appropriate title for your prince here."

Alice contemplated the question gravely "Well, there are hobbits and they are rather flighty, frivolous beings who enjoy food and drink to the point of some gluttony. I suppose we could make him a hobbit."

Finn raised his head at this and squinted at his date "Wait...aren't the hobbits the ones who are always running around in their bare furry feet and having to be rescued?"

Alice looked pleased "Exactly right, maybe Legolas is right, that does seem a better fit."

Finn's countenance took on a rather petulant look just as Rory appeared at Logan's elbow with Lorelai and Luke not far behind. She took one look at the scene before her and leaned into Logan "What's Finn sulking about?"

Finn answered for him with impressive poignancy "I WAS a king among men but apparently I've been demoted."

Rory held in a chuckle "That is tragic."

Finn slumped back in to his sprawled position with a melodramatic sigh "You've no idea the pain I am in. Here I was a prince for but a few spare hours and then to have my crown ripped from my hands with such cruelty. No doubt I've been emotionally slain."

Lorelai heard the last of this as she and Luke approached the table and leaned towards Logan who was the closest to her "I'm going to make a wild guess here and say that our maudlin performer is Finn."

"The one and thank god the only." Logan turned to Luke to clasp his hand "Luke. Nice to see you again."

Luke shook his hand with only a slight stiffening of his shoulders...he was still adjusting to this whole idea of Rory no longer being the ten year old that he fed hamburgers and milkshakes after school while she did her homework in the diner.

Finn lifted his head at the sound of a new female voice and did a none too subtle head to toe evaluation of the new arrival conveniently ignoring the man at her elbow.

Suddenly he was all charming smiles and sweet of tongue as he rose and took her hand, in a show of gallantry he brought it to his lips "Ah, who is this lovely vision who graces my sight, you my lovely mistress can only be the inestimable Lorelai, mother to our fine Woodward here." He raised his head with an incorrigible twinkle in his eyes and gave her an appreciative smile "And might I say there is no doubt where Woodward gets her enchanting beauty."

Lorelai's eyes twinkled merrily and her lips curved in a born seductress's smile as she all but purred "And you are Finn." It wasn't a question.

"Until recently yes...I'm told that my new appellation is Aragorn, king among men." He cast a hurt glance at the girl next to him "Although now I hear some treasonous rumblings about usurping my title."

She shot a laughing glance at Rory and Logan "Good eve then Prince of Gondor."

At this comment Alice perked up and joined the conversation "You know Lord of the Rings?"

Lorelai gave her a little smile "I know my sexy men in chain mail and Viggo is on top of that list."

She turned back to Finn "I've heard a lot about you good sir."

Finn puffed up his chest in good parody of a peacock strutting his feathers and gave her a naughty wink "I assure you, it's all true."

She laughed, that musical sound that had called to the souls of many an adventurer and Finn swore for evermore that he fell a little in love at that siren's song

He was considering how inappropriate it might be deemed to kiss this seraphim in front of her daughter and her boyfriend when he heard a rumbling cough at her back.

Lorelai turned to her companion with a grin "Don't worry Luke, you can wear chain mail for me any time...maybe one of those visor things and carry a sword and a shield...my very own paladin." She fluttered her eyelashes at him in playful coquettishness.

This took the scowl off of Finn and transferred it to Lorelai. It also afforded Finn time to switch his adoring gaze to the man behind Lorelai and thrust out his hand in a friendly no offense intended sort of manner, his malleable visage instantly shifting from hunter on the prowl to innocent kitten. "You must be Luke. I've not heard tale of your beauty but your coffee has engendered many a heartfelt ode from your young supplicant. "

Luke looked completely taken off guard by this about face and soon was in the midst of a hand shake with the young rake that had only seconds before been all but drooling at Lorelai's feet. Rory watched and then shrugged with a laugh when Luke gave her a questioning glance. Logan was right, it was impossible to stay angry with Finn, he made the ridiculous seem strangely reasonable.

Lorelai looked around the table "Okay, so we've got Aragorn and his lady friend, Big Mac and Woodward..." she paused with a laughing glance at Rory "Good nickname by the way. So where are the two unrequited lovers?"

Finn took over the emcee duties and slung his arm around Lorelai's shoulder with a sly smile before turning to point to the bar across the room "There are our two fine friends, Sir Colin the Cowardly who I believe is currently trying to drown said cowardice in single malt scotch and Lady Stephanie...she's the one with the long blonde hair and sweet countenance, I assure you though that the comparison to Rapunzel ends there as our Lady is less of a lady and more of a temptress."

"The best women are."

Finn's look was admiring "Now I see that Woodward came by both beauty and tongue honestly."

Lorelai cocked an eyebrow at him, the epitome of wickedness "Do I want to know what your acquaintance with my daughter's tongue is?"

Finn gasped in mock affront "I assure you dear lady, I have tasted only the sharp side of your daughter's wit. After all I was saving myself for you." He looked sideways at Logan "Besides the elf over there would pummel me if I tried and frankly, I'm a lover not a fighter."

Lorelai laughed outright at that thoroughly enjoying the boy's shameless audacity. "You're one smart man for a prince. Too bad I already have my man in shining apron."

She hugged Luke sideways and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which of course caused a rising blush to creep up his neck as she looked back at Finn "Unless you make coffee you're not even in the race."

Finn's face fell in a perfect parody of tragedy and he clutched at his chest as if in excruciating pain "Ah me, the dagger strikes deep at those cutting words, I fear I may not last the night and will die of a broken heart." He fell to his knees and looked sadly up at Lorelai "Perhaps you could fulfill me one last wish."

Lorelai played along with a solemn face "Anything for a dying man."

Finn put on his bravest face and knelt on one knee before her "All I ask is one dance, one dance to remember you, the angel that escaped my humble grasp."

Lorelai smiled "I believe that is a wish that I can grant, but first I say we drink, catch up a bit on the libations. It appears you've had quite a head start and my good name will die a painful death if I'm drunk under the table by a young upstart Aussie such as yourself. I consider it my duty to uphold the Gilmore name."

Finn clapped his hands together and rose from his knees "A woman after my own heart. I'll get the drinks."

She sat at the table and pulled Luke down with her as she whispered an aside to him "This is good, as long as we are sitting we don't have to mingle. I detest mingling. If there were a test in mingling I would fail it with flying colors. There are only about ten people here whose names I remember and I only remember them because I hate them."

Luke rolled his eyes "Well, at least we get to sit at a table of your ilk."

She brightened "There is that." She focused on Logan who sat on the other side of Rory "So, an elf huh?"

Logan shrugged as if to say these decisions were out of his hands "Legolas I'm told."

"Ooh...another category of greats...hot men in tights." she nudged Rory "Think Errol Flynn and Cary Elwes... although Orlando Bloom's right up there on the list, good choice kid."

Rory grinned, "I try...after all I did get lessons from the best."

Lorelai considered this "Well yes that is true but not every apprentice came live up to their master."

Their drinks arrived and Lorelai toasted the table "To weddings and new friends."

Alice was looking thoughtful "Actually I'm a little confused about this whole wedding thing. Aren't they already married?"

Rory nodded and started to explain "They are married but they were separated for a while and then reconciled and this is their fortieth wedding anniversary so they thought that it would be symbolic to renew their vows in front of all of us."

Lorelai piped in "So, really you should look at this party as less of a wedding and more of a reunification of warring parties with cake." She shrugged "all in all not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening, cake, free alcohol and dancing...if you ignore the overabundance of Anglo-Saxon Protestants it isn't so bad."

"Speak for yourself." Luke grumbled into his beer but Lorelai heard him and turned to him with a winning smile.

"It's not all bad...you get to dance with me."

He rolled his eyes "Oh joy."

Lorelai feigned injury "I'm told it is a highly sought prize. You're just playing the grump. You'll fall victim to my wiles in the end."

The music got their attention as the bandleader announced the entrance of the happily re-married couple.

Logan settled back with his drink more entertained by the byplay than the words from the man of the hour. Colin and Stephanie had joined them when the music started and he noted with some interest that Colin had his head bowed in Alice's direction and she was laughing at some comment he had made. More interesting yet was the sour expression that flitted across Stephanie's face at this interaction just before she took a healthy drink from her glass. Clearly something was eating at the usually carefree Stephanie. Colin's plan appeared to be working quite smashingly. He just hoped he didn't push it to close to the breaking point.

He watched as both Lorelai and Rory beamed in response to the happy faces on the dance floor. Luke was more entranced with Lorelai than the show on the floor and Logan watched with interest as Lorelai absently leaned towards Luke in response to the obviously romantic moment.

Then Rory's warm hand slipping into his own halted his observations. The tingle of the touch, the soft patterns she drew on the inside of his palm with her fingertips made him focus entirely on her and he was helpless to control the smile on his lips.

A moment passed before he registered the fact that other couples were getting up to dance and he stood and looked down at Rory just as Luke and Lorelai swept out to the floor. Luke had apparently succumbed to Lorelai's charms as expected. He held out his hand to Rory "Would you care to dance?"

She responded gaily as she rose from her chair "Lead the way my man in tights."

They swirled into the crowd of twirling bodies, one hand clasping hers as the other fell at her waist, hers on his shoulder. They fit together, moved together as naturally as breathing.

They watched Finn glide by with Alice, dipping her gracefully as he spun. Rory looked back at Logan "How is he able to do that when he is clearly more than half-sloshed?"

Logan laughed, "Finn does many things well and claims that he does them even better drunk. Although if he manages to get a microphone I'd find a reason to hide."

Colin and Stephanie caught her eye as they danced by on their other side, she cocked her head slightly as she watched them sensing something no quite right in the stiff way they moved. Again she directed her query at Logan "What's up with Colin and Stephanie, they look...I don't know...uncomfortable."

Logan turned his head towards them and observed silently for a moment "I think Colin's playing hard to get. Doesn't hurt that he and Alice seem to have bonded over this whole Lord of the Rings thing."

Rory's forehead wrinkled "Whoa, that must have been some car ride I missed, I thought Colin was going to make a play for Stephanie?"

"I think he's working his way around to it, maybe it's not a bad thing for Stephanie to get a little taste of her own medicine though."

Rory narrowed her eyes at him "Seems a little risky to me. What's to stop her from finding some other willing male companion?"

"Nothing really but strangely it seems to be working like reverse psychology and I haven't seen her more than glance at another guy all night... might be he's on to something with the jealousy thing. I think generally Steph takes him for granted, he's the fall back and she expects that he will always be there. Maybe it's not a bad idea to remind her that he might not wait forever."

She looked at him suspiciously "This wasn't your idea was it?"

He shook his head "Not this time. This is a Bradshaw original."

When she glanced at the dance floor again she noted that the dancing partners had changed, a swap that Colin and Alice seemed to be enjoying immensely as they spun and swayed to the music and Stephanie seemed far less than pleased about. In fact she appeared to be keeping a rather keen eye on the couple dancing across from her, a couple who seemed quite wrapped up in their conversation and who were dancing quite close.

The music ended and there was clapping as the guests took their seats; cake-cutting time appeared to have arrived as the tinkling of glasses called for silence. The bride and groom flush from dancing stood in front of the cake as the crowd quieted. Rory peeled off from Logan after he dropped into his chair next to Luke at their table and joined her mother next to the beaming newly re-married couple.

Lorelai leaned over to whisper to her as their glasses were filled with champagne "You ready for your big speech kid?"

Rory nodded "I think I'm set."

Lorelai winked at her "No sap though... sap is for romantics."

With a slightly nervous smile Rory stepped forward as the crowd turned their attention to her. "As the best man I've been asked to give the first toast." She looked at her grandparents for a moment and then took a breath before she launched into her speech "For a good part of my life I didn't know my grandparent's all that well but even when I saw them only at holidays, family weddings and funerals I had this picture of them in my mind and in the picture they were always a pair, a matched set. They epitomized a perfect, happy, loving marriage to me. This year when they told me they were separated it made me sad to see that illusion shattered, to realize that really they were only human beings like the rest of us, struggling with the ups and downs. Now it maybe be the rose colored glasses now back on my nose on this happy occasion but I like to think that now I have an even better picture in my mind. A picture that doesn't hide the imperfections in their love, that recognizes the hurdles they have faced and acknowledges the courage it took to overcome those in the name of love. The happiness I see in them today convinces me that the reality was so much better than the illusion." She smiled at the little tear in her grandmother's eye and raised her glass as the crowd followed suite "Perhaps the Latin proverb says it best 'Amor vincit omnia – Love conquers all'." There was a cheer and the clinking of crystal as Rory blushed a little and took a gulp of her own champagne and endured a hug from her both of her grandparents.

Rory waved a hand at Lorelai to indicate that it was her turn and she stepped forward with a deep breath willing the words to come. She started off in typical sarcastic Lorelai style, the comic with a punch line to get to "A blessing on the happy couple: As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction." she trailed off at the little chuckle that circled her and she shrugged "Hey you try following a Latin spouting Yalie." There was another laugh and she straightened and breathed deep "I'm Lorelai, maid of honor and daughter of the couple of the hour...most of you probably know me as the bane of their existence." This got a another ripple of laughter and she plunged onward "And if you know that much you probably also know that we don't agree on much, my parents and I, not on life or wardrobe or the correct distance between candlesticks but today is different. Today is about love, the thing that ties us together even when we wish we could cut those bonds; the thing that silences even the most vocal of critics, the thing that we hope makes us better, more than we are alone."

She turned slightly and caught her mother's eyes and had to swallow the lump in her throat at the tears she saw in Emily's eyes "It's about the thing that I see shining in my parent's eyes today and even I can't argue with that."

She fiddled with the stem of her glass for a second and her voice was almost contemplative when she continued "Wise men say that only fools fall in love..." there was little laugh that had her smiling again as she raised her glass "Here's to the fool in each of us."

There was a resounding clink of glasses and then Lorelai grinned "Enough of this sappy stuff...let's get this party started." There were hugs all around and Rory held back a tear of her own at seeing her mother and grandmother embrace and the whispered comment from Emily "Thank you Lorelai."

The cake cutting commenced with great pomp and circumstance and the music resumed and Logan returned his attention to the table as he saw taht Rory would be a few minutes with her grandparents. Stephanie turned down Colin's request for a dance with a transparent excuse about needing a fresh drink and Logan wasn't surprised to see Colin turn to Alice without hesitation and hold out a hand "Since I seem to be out of a date would you care for a dance Lady Arwen?"

Alice smiled without guile and jumped from her seat "Why of course Lord Faramir, I'd be honored."

They swirled away and Logan watched them for a moment before turning back to Stephanie who was staring into her drink and making snide under her breath remarks about the 'Lord', as he observed she took a rather large swig of the bronze liquid in her glass and gave a little grimace as it slid down her throat. Logan pulled out the chair next to her, recently occupied by Colin and slid on to it. "Having a little visit with the green eyed monster?" his tone was conversational.

Steph glared in his direction but then played ignorant "I don't know what you're talking about. I just didn't feel like dancing, so sue me."

Logan cocked an eyebrow at her but held up his hands in a gesture for a truce "No offense intended and no law suit filed, it's just rare that you aren't in the mood for a party and you seem, well, a bit tense."

Stephanie relaxed her shoulders with some effort as she darted another quick glance at the dance floor where Colin was flirting and laughing with the damn elf queen "I just have a headache that's all." Her tone was that of a sulky child.

Logan nodded knowingly and settled back in his chair with his glass of champagne "That headache wouldn't happen to be named Colin would it?"

She scoffed but he noticed she took another swallow of the fiery liquid in her glass before she spoke "Hardly. Lord, can't a girl have a headache without getting the third degree?"

Logan backed off "Sure, sorry, just trying to be a pal." He took a couple of silent sips of his champagne and watched the activity in front of him.

His tone was a tad on the sympathetic side and it really rubbed at something raw in Stephanie, that something that had been screaming in her ear and giving her that headache for the past hour while she watched Colin affectionately lean in and whisper to Alice or take her hand as they danced or laugh at some stupid unintelligible comment about hobbit kind. She didn't like it, didn't like one bit that she even noticed that his attention wasn't focused on her. Didn't like the fact that it made her doubt herself, doubt her strategy when it came to love and friendship. Didn't like that little sliver of some unnamed emotion that felt suspiciously like panic that had wormed it's way into her consciousness.

She had denied for a long time the attraction that she knew he had for her, thought it was better that way for both of them, thought it was better to keep him at arm's length, in the role of a friend, where gentle hearted Colin couldn't get hurt. Where she couldn't get hurt. It was selfish of her to admit but it had never occurred to her before today that he might find someone else. That he might be the one to desert her and leave her hanging here bewildered and alone. She didn't know what to do about it and she wasn't all that keen about discussing it with Logan who understood too well her predicament or Finn who saw too much that she wanted to keep hidden. She glared into the innocent glass whose only offense was being empty and raised her hand to get another from a passing waitress.

Logan watched her eyes focus on the dance floor for a long moment and hated the tinge of loneliness that colored her gaze for a second before she slammed down her glass with more force than she realized. He tried one last time "He's yours for the claiming you know."

Stephanie wasn't ready for this game, was pushing still at the walls of inevitability and her chin came up stubbornly "I don't want to claim him."

Logan slid out of his chair with a sigh and gave her a little kiss on the cheek "If you believe that then you could give Lady Arwen a lesson in fantasy."

Stephanie glowered after him but he only waved a hand back at her as he went in search of Finn. He found the merry prankster at work. Seems he had commandeered one of the bar stations and was happily mixing drinks that appeared to be about ten parts alcohol and a bit shy on the rocks or the mixers. He leaned in with a smile "I didn't know you could make a gin and tonic without the tonic."

Finn smirked at him "It's all about marketing, besides I'm well on my way to becoming the leader by popular demand of this particular colony of WASPs, pretty soon they'll all but hand me the keys to their kingdom and the microphone."

Logan rolled his eyes "You're stooping to new lows in the search for fame."

"To want fame is to prefer dying scorned than forgotten. " Finn's tone was lofty if a bit slurred.

Logan shook his head "Let me guess you're quoting Adolf Hitler now?"

"E.M. Cioran actually but I'll pardon the insult, not all of us have the power to sway public opinion."

Logan grabbed a glass of his own and poured scotch fearing the danger of a drink from the hands of Finn "I don't think getting a bunch of wedding guests drunk is swaying much but their view of the ceiling."

"Oh ye of little faith...just wait until you hear my solo, they'll be lauding me to the rafters.'

"Sure, the one's who are still standing, I have heard that alcohol dulls sensory perception...such a hearing."

Finn handed out another drink to another of his loyal parishioners. "Did you just come over here to lob insults at me?"

Logan laughed, "No actually, I can do that any day. I came to tell you to get your act together and dance with your date...you remember her, short, brunette...thinks she's Liv Tyler. Make nice with her Finn, I think Steph's getting a little envious of Herr Bradshaw's new fan. Not a bad thing but a little jealousy goes a long way."

Finn turned his head towards the table where they saw Stephanie suddenly stand with such force that her chair clattered to the ground behind her. "Ah, I see what you mean. Seems a rampage is in the offing." He nodded resolutely and fixed another drink "One more of these and then I'm your man."

Logan just shook his head at him and took a different tack "I can't remember the last time I saw Finn Morrison brought to his knees by a girl and to think all it took was a girl pronouncing herself a mythical creature with magical powers. Got to give Gellar points for this one...she definitely found your weak spot."

"Those are fighting words lover boy." Finn glared at him and downed the drink in one gulp "Now get out of my way, I have a fair damsel to rescue."

Logan laughed as he watched Finn and Stephanie charge the floor from different directions, this night was better than theater, he just hoped it didn't take the bent of a good Greek tragedy and leave all the characters dead or bleeding.

He was pulled from his reverie when a pair of warm hands slid around his waist and Rory nuzzled up against his shoulder "What are you laughing at?"

He smiled back at her and then pulled her around so she was facing him "Oh, you know life, love, the madness of it all. Great speech by the way, waxed a little poetic but strong finish, always appreciated a good Latin catch phrase myself. Did you have to sign many autographs?"

She smacked him lightly and then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor with a wicked light in her eyes "You can be Eddie Izzard later, now we're going to dance."

He slid into a gliding stride with her and demurred "I believe that you are the cross-dresser, not me."

She threw her head back and laughed feeling high on life, love...the madness of it all, this was what happiness felt like. She noted a bit of a squabble out of the corner of her eye and looked askance at Logan "What's with the battle brewing over there with your compadres. Did I miss something?"

Logan shook his head "Only something that has been a long time on the back burner, it's about time it boiled over."

Rory shot another glance over Logan's shoulder as they whirled by the foursome clearly in hot debate about something "There isn't going to be a brawl is there?"

"No, I'm thinking this will be less West Side Story and more Breakfast at Tiffany's...hopefully it won't go the route of the Odyssey because that would really end badly."

"Gee that's comforting."

As the music transitioned from quick to slow their feet adjusted mindlessly and Logan drew her a step closer "I'll comfort you Ace, no matter what the plot twists bring."

Thoughts of Colin and Stephanie and their predicament quickly fled her brain in the wake of the smile that riveted her attention to her the boy in her arms. They spun and shifted together as the music rose to a crescendo and Rory felt that delicious drop of her stomach and the tremble of her knees as their bodies danced closer. She felt a zing of electricity every time their skin touched. Anticipation clouded her senses, that heady feeling of the ground dropping away from your feet as you lifted off solid ground and followed the fairy dust to Neverland. She wasn't sure how much more of this awareness, this prickly, stand on the brink sort of fervor she could stand before she burst. She touched her lips to his wanting to ease that tension inside of her and their tongues dueled lightly before she pulled away to look up at him again.

It wasn't enough. She wanted more. There was a long frozen moment of indecision that existed mainly in her head while the rest of the world whirled on around them as she thought about this realization. Was she ready for more? This part had always frightened her, made her shy away from intimacy, from losing control. The soaring part was great but the fear of falling all that way to the cold hard ground of reality wasn't so nice. She had tried before, to have that freefall but wear a big parachute that would soften the landing, she knew without a doubt that it hadn't worked. Logan would be a risk but she understood he was a risk she had already taken. She wanted more and she was going to take it, cast caution to the wind and let her reckless heart take over. Her eyes landed on Logan's mouth, those sensuous smirking lips capable of soft gentle caresses, able in a flash to demand heat and passion. Then they floated upwards to his eyes, those expressive pools of chocolate that made her want to never breathe in anything but him ever again.

Logan had lost all notion of the steps his feet took, the rhythm they followed and for once was glad for all those dreaded dance lessons that had installed such ingrained muscle memory that his feet danced of their own accord to the strains of the waltz and left his mind free for other pursuits. His awareness had shrunk down to only the curl of dark silken hair that tickled his cheek, the warm breath that hovered near his ear, the heat that seemed to scorch his skin through even the layers of protection offered by his normal impervious cashmere suit jacket and had his internal temperature ratcheting up several degree.

Her lips lifted to meet his and he met her halfway. The kiss was tinder on the flame and far to brief. Rather than assuaging the thick awareness that weighed in on him it only left him wanting more. He leaned forward to delve again into those depths but something in her eyes stopped him, some secret battle she fought. Then he was pinned, those liquid sapphire eyes that were heated within by some unseen fire and that now reminded him of that inflorescent blue that one often saw at the base of a flame, the eyes that lingered on his lips before sliding upwards to his eyes holding him immobile.

She stepped back putting a mere breath of space between them but enough that Logan felt the loss of her warmth. His arms slid away from her and he watched her for a second while she fought some internal struggle.

Then she held out a hand to him spanning the brief distance between them "Come with me." The words were simple but the offer was not.

He let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding and slipped his hand into hers "Lead on my queen. I'd follow you to the gates of hell itself."

"I don't think that will be necessary but I do appreciate the offer." The response was automatic, a lifetime of deflection by wit so she sailed past it.

He grinned, "I aim to please."

The smile warmed him from the inside out as she laughed and turned to tug him through the crowd. She seemed to be in a hurry so he followed her at a quick pace as they wound their way to the edge of the dance floor and he hardly raised an eyebrow when she grabbed a bottle of champagne on the way out of the ballroom. They found themselves in an empty hallway and Rory started opening doors, looking for what Logan was not sure but apparently after the third door she found something acceptable because she quickly pulled him in to what appeared to be a dressing room and closed the door behind them.

She stood that way, facing the door for a long moment and he watched her take a deep breath and turn towards him as he opened the champagne. He offered it to her as she joined him in the center of the room and something in his chest fluttered like a bird trapped in a cage as she took the proffered bottle and took a deep draught before setting it on a table next to them.

Her eye were hypnotizing in their intensity and a little reckless as her hand came up of it's own accord and glided down his cheek, behind his neck and then in one sinuous motion pulled him toward her. Her voice came out husky and soft against his lips "I want..." she hesitated slightly on the word "more."

He didn't hesitate to respond as their lips met. The singing of blood in their veins was better music than any waltz, the thrill of chemistry and adrenaline had them trying madly to get closer, to touch, taste, revel in each other. Her hands clenched and released in his hair and then drifted lower, down over his shoulders and to the buttons that held his shirt together, she fumbled a few of them and then gave up in frustration and ripped the last two off the bottom with a sharp tug.

Almost instantly she was rearing back with astonishment in her eyes as if she weren't sure what harlot had possessed her "I'm sorry..." his mouth on hers stopped the apology and he whispered to her between tugs on her lips with his teeth "Sweetheart you can rip every stitch of clothing off me if you want. It's well worth the price of a new shirt."

He could feel her lips curve and she threw herself into the kiss as the passion swam in her blood and took her past embarrassment until all she felt was his lips, his skin and still she yearned for more. He nearly lost his grip on her shirt buttons when she started kissing her way down his neck with tiny bites, her tongue soothing the path left by her teeth. He brought her head back up to look at him as he felt himself being swamped by sensation and knew he was close to his breaking point. He'd done this a thousand times but it had never mattered like this. He was desperate for her but he wanted it to be right. He forced her eyes up to his and felt his heart pound at the wildness there, the danger. This girl was everything he wanted, and so much more than he deserved.

That had him backing up a tiny step despite the moan it elicited from her. His voice came out rusty as if from disuse "Rory." When she kissed his palm where it lay on her cheek he felt the touch of her tongue clear to his gut and held himself steady only by sheer will, needing to hear her answer, he forced the words out "Rory...do you want to do this now?"

Her eyes zeroed in on his and he felt the heat of them searing a path straight to his heart. He was a goner and if she said yes he knew there was no way he would ever walk away from her. He stood suspended on that tight rope of emotion and slick lust that balled in his gut and had him yearning to rip her clothes of despite their surroundings.

She blinked once, twice as if trying to make sense of his words and then she pulled her head back as her brow wrinkled, her voice was hurt "You don't want me?"

Logan closed his eyes in a silent plea for strength, leave it to her to misunderstand his intent in this most important moment "No...I want you, more than I ever wanted anything." She relaxed a bit in his grip and his forehead came to rest on hers as he let out a sort of disbelieving laugh "You have NO idea how much I want you, how much I want this, in fact I can't even believe I am having this conversation... Finn would have my balls if he were here." He felt her brow wrinkle beneath his

"I'd really rather you left Finn out of this discussion."

"Right...noted." Logan pulled back from her trying desperate to slow his breathing, forcibly resisting the urge to touch her, knowing that would undermine any good intentions he had. He raked a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "Look Rory, I just want you to be sure that here and now is the way you want to do this, I just want this... the first time, to be something special...you deserve that."

Rory frowned slightly and took a step towards him but he warded her off so she crossed her arms in front of her chest "It's not my first time Logan I don't need it to be all candles and romance and rose petals on the bed, I just want to be with you."

He considered this for a long moment and couldn't believe his answer even as it came spilling from his lips "Okay, maybe I want it to be special for me."

She looked almost as shocked at this pronouncement as he was so he paced further and mussed his hair again with an agitated hand. "I can't believe I'm saying this, I didn't think I could but here they are, the words and somehow I can't do this without saying them." she wasn't entirely sure whether he was speaking to her or to himself.

Finally he came to stand in front of her and took her shoulders. Whether to bring her closer or hold her at bay wasn't entirely clear. She started to speak but his eyes stopped her. There was a compelling light there that seared it's way into her and left her short of breath "Rory, I don't know what this is that I feel for you, there are no words in my vocabulary, no reference point in my experience to define this by. All I know is that I have never felt like this before, it's like the best high and the scariest adrenaline rush and the most amazing exhilarating roller coaster ride all wrapped into something that is more than all those things. I've never been so afraid in my life, afraid of what this thing is, where it is leading, but most of all afraid of how much I want you, not just physically but in my life. I don't' know what to do with that yet."

She put her hand up to his face and felt him tremble under her touch "I feel those things too Logan. I'm scared too but I know that I want you, want this. I've never been so sure of anything. It doesn't matter to me if it's in a storage closet or a five star hotel. The rest of the questions, they don't have to be answered today."

Logan's hands lifted to her face and he lowered his lips to hers softly, so gently that it felt like the brush of butterfly wings and then he let his lips disengage from hers slowly and met her eyes with burning sincerity "I can't explain why but it matters to me. I want more for me, more for you, more for us."

She felt it like an earthquake, the quiver that started in the region of her heart and rippled outward leaving her shaken and her heart wide open and welcoming in it's wake. There was no doubting this feeling. It was too strong. Too undeniable Her lips trembled apart and she was carried on that ripple past all her normal inhibitions "Logan, I..."

He saw it in her eyes, emotion shimmering there and trembling on her tongue an instant before they were abruptly interrupted by a door swinging open. The one and only thought it Logan's brain was that he was going to buy a shot gun tomorrow if it was Finn.

They whirled together in surprise at the disturbance and were stunned to see a man who looked equally flummoxed by the situation. He was clearly drunk and seemed to be squinting in Rory's direction. "Rory?"

Her voice went from recognition to horror in the space of a syllable "Dad?"


	41. A Pocket Full of Posies

Colin would have loved to be able to say that he had even an inkling of what he was doing but the truth of the matter was that he was pretty much flying blind. The dance of intrique, the intricate footwork of romance, the dos and don'ts of that mysterious thing called seduction had never been his strong suit. Not entirely his fault, after all he'd been in love with the same damn girl since he was eight and his pickup lines hadn't improved much since then. Oh, he had dated other girls and even had a night of passion now and again, he wasn't a eunuch after all, but they hadn't meant a thing to him other than a distraction or a decoy so that Stephanie didn't guess his real feelings for her.

No, it had always been Stephanie since that fateful day on the playground when he had first caught sight of those bouncing golden curls, those half feral eyes and that pixies face so full or life that it made him ache to be that free, that wild. He feared very much that it would always be Stephanie even if she sliced his heart from his chest and left him bleeding on the ground. Logan was right about that, he had no pride left when it came to Stephanie...only need.

Yet it had thrilled something in his blood to see that little flash of jealousy in her eyes when he had so innocently spoken to Alice about their common interest in hobbits and wizards. It had sparked an idea that had seemed outlandish but not impossible, so he'd run with it. It scared him, tempting the beast this way, tempting the fates maybe but he almost enjoyed the reckless sense of daring that came hot on the heels of that fear. For once, he, Colin Bradshaw, always the slow, methodical pack horse behind the prancing show ponies was taking the lead, seizing control, making the game his own rather than just playing by some unwritten but seemingly indelible rules laid out by the girl he loved.

He was going for broke...and as he was tapped on the shoulder and spun with a surprisingly strong hand towards a clearly outraged Stephanie he began to hope that perhaps it had been just the gamble that was needed to finally win him the prize he had sought for so long.

He breathed deep chanting to himself 'control Bradshaw, stay in control, make her play her hand first.' The calm of his voice surprised even him as he arched an eyebrow in question "Hey Steph, everything okay? Did you need something?"

The tone appeared to be having it's desired effect as he watched her eyes darken to cobalt that reminded him of the midnight sky before a storm, a sure sign that she was way beyond pissed. This newfound power was surprisingly exhilarating.

She took a step towards him brining her scant inches from his face "We need to talk Bradshaw."

He couldn't help himself, the devil had taken over...maybe this was the way a gambler felt when he won the jackpot, "Can't it wait Steph, we're kind of in the middle of a dance here."

He thought perhaps he had poked the angry lion one too many times. The look in her eyes was terrifying to behold and he swallowed a little just before she grabbed him by the tie and yanked hard enough to have him face to face with her and gasping for breath. Her voice left no doubt as to the horrors that would be visited upon him should he refuses her demands "Now. We are going to talk NOW."

She spun with his tie still firm in her grip and came face to face with Alice who looked none too pleased about this development and despite her slighter stature and less fiery nature looked ready for a good cat fight. Her hands were on her hips as she face Stephanie and narrowed her eyes "You should leave him be, he can do what ever he wants."

Stephanie let out a gust of air behind her teeth that came out sounding rather like the hiss and rattle of a snake...a deadly snake that would a soon bite you as warn you, her voice was close to a snarl "Out of my way pixie princess or I'll be happy to toss you into the pit after that ridiculous ring of yours."

The pixie princess sputtered and Colin's eyes darted wildly from one girl to another, if he had know it would be this exhilarating to see Stephanie fight for him he would have taken this chance a long time ago. The women eyed each other for a long suspenseful pause and he feared very much that there might be bloodshed.

Luckily they were interrupted by the most unlikely of saviors as Finn came sailing in and gaily took Alice by the hand "There you are my elfin queen, I've been just dying for another dance in your heavenly arms."

Alice looked at him in surprise and then back at Colin and seemed about to speak but Finn was quick to intercept the act as he grasped her hand and twirled her away and into the crowd. He shot one glance back at Stephanie and Colin still frozen in position and gave Colin a less than subtle signal that said what the hell are you waiting for mate...follow her.

Stephanie all but dragged him from the room nearly tripping over people in their way and stopped just on the other side of the threshold to push him up against the wall. She still had a death grip on his tie and he was beginning to feel a little afraid for his safety, worried that maybe he had pushed her just a tad too far off that ledge of sanity when she let go with a sudden unclenching of her fist. She left him there, slumped against the wall. She put her hands on her hips and began to pace and he wisely remained silent as watched her, back and forth, back and forth until she came to an abrupt stop in front of him.

Her words were angry; frustrated "What the hell is this Colin?"

He wasn't sure what part of this she really wanted to talk about so he played it safe "A wedding?"

She drilled him with her eyes and they narrowed to slits as he watched "Don't be an imbecilic ass Colin, you know that's not what I meant."

"Okay, then what did you mean?" his voice was even, reasonable and this seemed to ruffle her feathers even further.

The answer came through clenched teeth "I mean why did you come with me and then spend the entire night dancing with someone else's date."

Ah, the trickiest of questions, how to give just enough but not too much. Colin carefully schooled his features to matter of fact "You said we were just coming as friends, that you were here to find a new conquest. I asked you but you didn't want to dance with me so I didn't think you would mind if I kept Alice company. I am sorry if I misunderstood."

She didn't like that bit of turn about one bit and hated even more the fact that he was absolutely right, that she had not an inch of solid ground to stand on as he quoted back her words in regards to this evening nearly verbatim. She seethed "Well, I changed my mind."

"Really? About what?" His eyebrows arched and she almost believed that he was only mildly curious in her response.

"About tonight you dolt...about us, okay, there I said it." She flung her hands up and paced away from him again before coming back to stand in front of him. He hadn't moved and his face now was immobile, nearly blank, calm and serene, an expression that almost had her backing away from this cliff she stood on.

His tone didn't budge an inch in its calm questioning, "I'm sorry, you're going to have to be more specific. I wasn't aware there was an 'us' to discuss."

She tried the narrowed eye glare again, always a good fall back but tonight it just bounced off him, he was immovable and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. The always-transparent Colin had somehow found himself an impenetrable shield. The only thing she could read in the stubborn set of his jaw, the unreadable eyes, the negligent shrug was that he was waiting and he was determined. She felt the first trickle of fear seep past the barrier that she had erected out of indignation and anger.

She considered for a moment that term...us...did she want to be an us with Colin, one of her best friends, and one of the few people who knew her weaknesses and her darkest secrets. The person who time and again had been the one to help her put her life back together when it was in pieces.

Could she risk losing that? Could she risk trying to be something more and losing what they had. Could she risk her heart? What would happen if she turned around and walked away, pretended that this moment had never happened? Could they be what they had been mere hours ago?

She looked into his eyes and the steady gaze that met hers told her the answer to all those questions. Sweet, kind, patient Colin was done waiting. If she walked away so would he and he wouldn't go back, not to three hours ago or yesterday or last year. It was one of those decisions in life that she couldn't hide from any longer.

She rolled her shoulders like a prizefighter readying for a bout and then straightened, as she looked him in the eye "What if said I wanted there to be an us to discuss?"

If she had hoped for a revelation she didn't get it, he was holding his cards close on this one "Do you?"

It took all her courage but she forced the syllable from her lips "Yes."

If she was looking for mercy she wasn't getting that either "What does that mean?"

Now the irritation was resurfacing "You know what it means."

He shook his head slowly always keeping his eyes on her face, his heart was beating a mile a minute and his palms were sweating but he felt good, felt like he had hit his stride, that this was the race he had been training for all his life and he wasn't about to sprint and hit the wall too soon and risk losing in the end. "No Stephanie. I don't know what that means to you and this is one time that I will only accept a crystal clear definition."

She huffed and fidgeted and paced a tight circle before she faced him and shook her head slightly at how he had outmaneuvered her, the consummate player beaten by a rookie off the bench. Beginner's luck she supposed. Either that or it was the guts to play with everything and not be afraid to lose. She smiled slightly and her tone was wry "You're going to make me say it aren't' you?"

He smiled but it was still only a quirking of the lips, not time to celebrate yet until they had passed this brink, they'd been too close too many times for him to believe just yet "I think I've earned it."

The last of her guard walls fell away at his implacable tone, he was right about that one, dead right, and no one deserved it more. " Yeah, I guess you have. Here goes then; I want to be with you Colin, just you, no one else."

His heart wanted to leap for joy but he only quirked an eyebrow at her holding his position against the wall, arms crossed "You think that's enough to get you off the hook?"

She laughed, a real laugh this time and it was music to his ears "No, I guess not, but maybe this will."

She moved as quick as lightening and he barely had time to register the motion before she wrapped his tie around her hand again and pulled him into her, her lips smashing into his with all the pent up frustration, anger and unspoken emotion that had been years in the making. He was stunned for an instant, swamped by elation and then ceased to think all together. His hands fisted in her hair and dragged her closer and he spun her in one motion until she was pinned against the wall and he could take his fill of her. Everything about her drove him wild, to the brink of insanity and he thought he could never get enough of her to fill that yawning need inside of him. She moaned a little and the sound was more powerful than any aphrodisiac.

It was probably a good thing that an alarm went off just then and pulled them from their altered reality, Colin couldn't be entirely sure that they wouldn't have just ripped each others clothes off right there in the hallway if that timely bell hadn't sounded.

Their lips fell away but he couldn't quite muster the energy to move his head much further than her shoulder. She looked up at the ceiling still gasping for breath, held in place by his weight against her, feeling his heart beating through their combined clothing. She had heard tales of those kisses, the ones that rocked your world on it's foundation and had thought she'd had a few mind erasers in her day but this, well this made them seem like some knock off imitation of art.

His breath was hot against her ear as he finally spoke, his voice throaty and gruff "That was cheating."

She laughed...she couldn't help it, the joy, the freedom, the exhilaration combined to make her lose what little control that she had left and wrap her arms around him in a hug as his head finally came up and his dancing eyes, now open to her and full of love met hers. She felt content and her glib tongue said the only thing that lay on it, the only words she could say in the moment. "I love you Colin Bradshaw."

He was overwhelmed, soaring like a kite far above the land of mere mortals, he hadn't known, hadn't expected this, at least not yet. It was all that he had hoped for and it left him speechless.

She saw it in his eyes, the blank shock that said that even as her friend, her confidante he hadn't known, hadn't seen this, the darkest secret that hid in the corner of her heart. His eyes warmed until they blazed and his mouth dropped to hers again in a hard passionate kiss before he pulled back and looked her in the eye. "I've waited a long time to hear you say that."

She smiled knowing the truth of that statement; the reality was she had held those words hostage for almost as long as he had waited for them. "I know." She shrugged then "Better late then never though, right?"

He grinned and it was a gorgeous thing to behold "Right." He slowly pulled back from her suddenly becoming aware of exactly where they were. He coughed a little uncomfortably "Uh, so, what now? I'd love to continue this, but maybe someplace without an audience."

She laughed and pulled herself away from the wall and linked her hand with his in a gesture that had them both smiling "There will be lots of time for that later. Now, I say we break the news to the peanut gallery."

He sighed a bit dramatically "I guess we have to sooner or later."

Rory looked wildly at Logan whose shirt was unbuttoned and pushed halfway down his arms. That was bad enough without even thinking about her own state of undress. She felt the passion of a moment before drain from her body to be replaced by horror and the mantra in her head went a bit like 'Oh bollix, damn bloody, stupid hormones.'

She looked up at the man who was her biological father with her cheeks stained red and the first thought was of deflection, a good distraction, that's what she needed now, she'd pay a heavy ransom in coffee for Finn or Stephanie or even a cheerleader's outfit right now.

In lieu of that she'd figure she'd go with a classic...the best defense was a good offense "What are you doing here?" she thought she did an admirably job of sounding in control when she felt anything but.

Christopher was completely at a loss for words on the current predicament and automatically responded with an explanation "I was just trying to find the bath..." suddenly the situation caught up with him "Wait just a minute here, I think I'm the one that should be asking what YOU are doing here." He pointed at Logan "And who the hell are you?" now he was advancing in raging father mode.

Logan still felt a few steps behind in their newest encounter with the Gilmore clan but he was all too familiar with raging father mode and couldn't miss the signs. His eyes widened as he back up a step putting up his hands as if to ward off a blow "Uh, sir, I can explain." Then in an action unprecedented in his dealings with distraught damsels and raging fathers Rory grabbed his arm and pushed him back, stepping in front of him to face her father head on. Apparently she didn't need rescuing just now.

Her voice came out sharp and a near octave above it's normal range but she pulled it off as she advanced on the stunned man in front of her "He's my boyfriend and I am nineteen years old and what we are doing is none of your business." She took a sniff of him "Maybe you should go back to the bar, from the smell of your breath I'd say you'll have no trouble finding that."

It was an impossible coincidence but then bad luck seemed to be on their side tonight as Lorelai strode past in the hall way, perhaps in search of the water closet as well and did an abrupt dead stop and a double take when she recognized two voices coming from an open door, one of which was her daughter who had been conspicuously missing for the past twenty minutes and was now speaking in a voice that was climbing every closer to soprano and the other, if she was not mistaken, was Christopher. She was certain that at some point in the hallway she had stepped into some strange Star gate and been transported to an alternate reality.

She barged into the room and her eyes widened as they met the pleading eyes of one Logan Huntzberger currently being held back by one arm by her angry daughter who had her other finger pointed at her father's face. This was a stance that was not at all normal for the usually peaceable Rory Gilmore and it made Lorelai quickly take stock of the situation. Logan's jacket was missing and his shirt was only covering his lower arms and hanging by it's tails from his waist band leaving his top half covered by nothing but a rather askew tie, hanging like a last lonely ornament on a denuded Christmas tree. Rory didn't look far behind in the disrobing game with her shirt pulled out of her pants and half unbuttoned and her hair trailing chaotically from it's once neat style.

Lorelai could picture in her mind perhaps with a bit too much clarity than was absolutely necessary exactly what scene Christopher must have blundered upon and she nearly laughed aloud at how positions had become so reversed in the blink of an eye. It was like one of those teen movies about the parent and the child switching bodies and having to live in each other's bodies for a day.

She dared not count the number of times that she and the man who was doing a very good impression of her own father and trying to pummel their daughter's half naked boyfriend had nearly been caught in picture perfect reconstructions of this tableau. The irony of it was too perfect to ignore. The sins of the father come back to haunt the child. Frankly she had less of a problem with Logan and what he might have been doing with her daughter than the fact that Christopher was standing in this room at all.

She advanced across the room and finally caught Rory's eye after a helpful tug from Logan to get her attention. Rory turned with a look of obvious relief "Mom, can you please just get him out of here."

Christopher finally registered her presence and turned with a surprised look "Lorelai? What are you doing here?"

Lorelai gave him a disbelieving look "I'm sorry, you must be reading the wrong script, I believe that's my line." She looked back at Rory and then pointed to Christopher "I'm assuming he is the him you are referring to?"

Rory's tone left no doubt as to her meaning "Yes, him. He's drunk and he's totally misinterpreting the situation and he threatened to punch Logan." Rory crossed her arms carrying off the haughty quite well even half dressed, Lorelai figured she had gotten that from her, the whole grace under pressure thing, Christopher had always cracked like an egg under even the slightest force. It might seem a little twisted but she suddenly felt a swell of pride in her daughter.

Christopher jumped in to plead his defense to Lorelai "I can't believe that you would be saying that if you had walked in on what I did. Where were you when they were in here ripping off each other's clothes?"

Rory leapt into the fray again "Excuse me dad" the tone was sarcastic and the emphasis pointed "but you have no idea what you just walked in on and I'll go ahead and be redundant and say, it's none of your business."

Lorelai stopped her daughter with a hand "Rory, you and Logan go get tidied up, leave this to me, the last thing we need is your grandparent's happening upon this scene. You can do what ever you want, somewhere else, but not here, not at their wedding, they would never forgive either of us if they found out and frankly my list of sins is already too long to take this one on."

Christopher's voice rose as he pointed at them and spoke to Lorelai "You are condoning this behavior? "

Logan almost felt sorry for the poor guy when he saw Lorelai's eyes harden to steel and she rounded on him "I'm sorry. You think that you get a vote in this democracy?" her tone was incredulous.

Christopher sputtered, obviously too far gone to back down while he had the chance "I'm her father, so yes, I think I get to have a vote."

"Eeeeh" Lorelai made a buzzer noise rather like the nasty tone one might hear when giving the wrong answer on a game show, "I'm sorry Christopher, wrong answer, care to choose a new category? Maybe deadbeat dads for 100?"

He stiffened, clearly not one to back down from even the most foolish of suicide missions, "That was uncalled for Lorelai."

Logan saw in that moment, watching her parent's go toe to toe exactly where Rory had gotten that core of steel that hid under her soft exterior. Clearly her parents were not the kind of people you wanted to take on without a last will and testament in the hands of your lawyer and a good suit of armor. A friend named Tiny who used to be in the WWF wouldn't hurt either.

Lorelai shook her head with a little resignation "I'll admit that was below the belt but if you think that after all these years I'm going to start listening to your advice on parenting then you should be committed. I raised my kid to be strong and independent and smarter than the two of us and I trust her judgment. That's a lot more than I can say for you."

Lorelai waved to Rory to get a move on and continued to advance on Christopher until he was backed up into a chair.

Rory nodded and grabbed for their scattered clothes before pushing Logan towards a door on the opposite side of the room, he didn't need much urging. Rory turned at the door and saw her mother's eyes go weary as she took Christopher by the shoulders and shoved him down into a chair, her tone was resigned but not kind. "Sit down Christopher before you fall down and make an even bigger ass out of yourself."

Outside the door in an empty hallway the pair of scrambled to right their disheveled clothing and only slumped against the wall to draw a breath when all items were in their rightful place. Thank God any other wandering partygoers hadn't found them. Rory put a hand to her forehead to ward of the picture of what had just transpired. She didn't know whether to shout or cry or laugh.

"So, that's your dad?" Logan's tone was dry.

Rory's head came up and her cheeks were looking a bit in the vicinity of scarlet. "Yeah, not exactly the great first impression I hoped for."

Logan waved a hand at her "Oh, I'm sure he won't remember much after the heat of the moment is past."

She smiled helplessly at that "No, I meant him."

"Ah."

She grabbed at his hand and turned towards him "Look Logan, about that scene in there...I'm so sorry... about all of it, I don't know what got into me." She slumped back into position and put her face back in her hands "See, this is exactly why I don't do spontaneity...I suck at it. I wouldn't blame you at all if you wanted to run as far and as fast as you could to get away from this madhouse I call a life."

Logan rolled off the wall to face her and forcibly pulled the hands from her flaming cheeks "Hey, now wait just a minute here, I think I have to insulted by that ...remember me, daredevil, living life on the edge, In Omnia Paratus...ring any bells? Look Ace, if I wasn't the adventurous sort do you think I would be here with you at all? It takes some guts to take you on, not to mention the Peyton Place cast you call a family and that loony bin town of yours. It is a venture not for the faint of heart." He just laughed at her attempt to swat him with the hand that he was still holding by the wrist and he couldn't help teasing that smile back on to her lips "I mean honestly, I think if you looked up drama in that fancy dictionary of yours I bet you'd find Gilmore listed under the examples. I used to think my life was wild and wacky but a boat sinking and a few sundry misdemeanors pale in comparison to your story."

His teasing smile was contagious and she felt it spreading to her own lips, melting away the embarrassment and making her laugh. Suddenly she wrenched her arms free and threw them around his neck as she gave him an enthusiastic kiss, her tone when she pulled away matched his mocking remark "Better tread carefully Huntzberger, I wouldn't want to have to rip your shirt off again to shut you up."

He smirked "It was one of the more creative and effective methods I've experienced I'll give you that." He kissed her again still on that light note and then pulled back. He sobered slightly and his hand rose to automatically to tuck an errant lock of hair behind her ear "In all seriousness Ace, I won't go into the ugly details but I've had my share of run ins with angry parents ...although I have to say your mom was a cooler cucumber than I've seen."

Rory nodded with a slight smile "She is one of a kind."

"As I was saying, all those angry parents, I figure they're just doing their job, I might do the same thing if it were my little girl. Trust me on this though, if your penchant for lugging books around, your proclivity for odd music, your collection of oddball friends and your personal need to argue with nearly everything I say hasn't driven me away then I hardly think a few rather uninspired threats from your dad are going to do the job."

Rory looked at him for a moment and saw that beneath the light words he was completely sincere, she accepted his comment with a nod and went back to the lighter tone. "Well, in my dad's defense he hasn't had much practice."

Logan laughed, "I'll try not to give him reason to make me his guinea pig then."

She nodded "Probably wise."

"Now about the other matter."

"Other matter?"

"You know the part before your father so rudely interrupted."

"Oh, right, that." The rosy pink was back and he watched it flood her cheeks with fascination. For a girl who had all but ripped the shirt from his shoulders she sure did embarrass easily. He found it sort of endearing.

"I just want you to know that I have every intention of finishing what we started in there. Just not here... later, when there are no grandparent's or parents or drunken friends...just you and me and a door with a lock."

"I appreciate the generous offer."

"Probably a matter of survival more than anything else, denial of pleasure and delay of gratification has never been my strong suit and I'm quite sure I'll never sleep again without seeing the entirety of the picture revealed...one tantalizing glimpse of you is no where near enough." He shivered dramatically and they laughed together before their lips met.

She got lost in his eyes, in the heated kiss that pinned her to the wall and her voice was throaty when she spoke "Good, denial of pleasure isn't exactly on the top of my to do list right now either. I'm glad you want to continue where we left off. I was just starting to like you." Logan grinned at this understatement as she smoothed his tie down his chest with a stroke that left that little ball of heat hovering in his belly "If you ran now I'd just have to chase you and you know the rules...a..."

He finished the sentence with a grin "... Gilmore girl never runs. So, I've been told and far be it for me to be the reason you are disowned."

She beamed up at him and patted him on the cheek "You're a quick study, I like that in a man."

He took her palm and kissed the center of it "I've taken a crash course in Gilmore."

He linked their hands as she pushed herself off the wall "I guess we should rejoin the fray...see how much damage and mental destruction Finn has wrought."

"Lead on my warrior."

They were pleasantly surprised to see the ballroom still intact, the band still playing and the majority of the guests still standing when they re-entered the ballroom.

Finn appeared to be doing a serenade, thankfully sans microphone, to his elf queen who seemed now quite smitten with the prince/ hobbit. Colin and Stephanie were nowhere to be seen and Emily and Richard appeared to be holding court at their table. Apparently no catastrophes had occurred in their absence.

Luke stopped them as they neared their table and his expression was a bit abstracted as he touched Rory on the arm "Have you seen your mom Rory? That scary Marilyn character was looking for you both for some pictures or something."

Rory nodded but she wasn't paying much attention to the words since her eyes had just then picked out the shapes of Colin and Stephanie outside the glass windows of the ballroom clearly in the midst of a deep conversation. She answered somewhat absently "Sure, I just saw here, she was down that hallway...second or third door down, I can't remember which." She didn't really want to mention the fact that she didn't remember the particulars of the location because at the time of her own entrance her brain had been swimming with lust.

" I'll just go find her then,"

Rory nodded distractedly as he strode away "Okay, we'll be here."

She nudged Logan and pointed at the window "Look, there's Steph and Colin...looks like they are finally talking."

Logan smiled "Yeah...it's about time."

They plopped down in their chairs and surveyed the scene before them. Rory put her chin on her hand and watched a few dancers spin by to the lazy strains of a foxtrot "Looks like the party is starting to wind down a bit." She looked over at Logan "I'm glad you came."

Logan smiled and trailed a finger down her cheek "Hey what can I say, I'm a cheap date, open bar, free food, good company and I'm yours."

She leaned forward "Well gee, when you make me an offer like that, how could a girl refuse." She had only just touched her lips to his when it hit her. She reared back and all happy thoughts skittered out of her brain like a stampede of lemmings. She shoved her chair back with a loud scrape and scrambled to her feet with her hand to her mouth in horror "Oh my god!"

Logan, completely mystified by this sudden mood shift, quickly stood up next to her with his forehead wrinkled into a frown and his voice laced with concern "What...what's wrong?"

She just pointed and rambled somewhat unintelligibly "Luke...mom, I sent him and she was with dad." She moaned and put her head in her hands "god, how could I be so stupid."

Logan was lost but he tried to follow the snippets of information "I don't get it...your mom and dad are together, so what?"

She shook her head miserably "You don't understand, my mom and dad, they have a history and then there was the thing with baby when Sheri left and the lunch at the Inn..."

"Baby, what baby, you?"

"No." she shook her head in frustration "Not me...Gigi, my sister...oh never mind, I don't have time to explain, I've got to stop him." She turned on her heel and raced down the hallway after Luke as he stood there feeling a little cross-eyed and confused all over again. It never failed; just when he thought he had a handle on her crazy life she threw him another curve ball. He dropped back into his chair and called the waitress over for a refill of his champagne. Best to wait this one out.


	42. We All Fall Down

Logan let the fruity effervescent taste of champagne mingle with the sweet lingering flavor of Rory on his lips and savored the memory of her in his arms. It was a great memory, one he would like to recreate very soon.

The solitary moment was sadly cut short by Finn scampering back to the table dragging his elfin queen at his heels. He plopped down with all the aplomb of a drunken bear and leaned excitedly towards Logan. "Did you see it?"

Logan cast him a sideways glance "I'll buy a noun for five hundred please Pat."

"The kiss!" Finn hissed in obvious exasperation, "THE kiss. What do I have to do, erect a billboard for you?"

"Well a little old fashioned sentence structure might do more good than fifty foot high words, but hey that's just my second grade teacher talking."

Finn sighed dramatically and looked over at a bemused Alice "Sometimes its hard being the only genius in the company of fools."

Logan rolled his eyes with equal drama "Cut to chase please, I tire of your soliloquizing."

Finn leaned forward again and spoke with exaggerated slowness and careful enunciation "Stephanie and Colin kissed."

Logan's eyebrows rose slightly "Thanks for the update Lennie. So did she kiss him or did he kiss her?"

Finn leaned back with a little frown "Not sure actually, I missed the actual initiation and only caught the lip lockage...kind of hard to miss that part with them plastered against the window over yonder."

"You're slipping Groves."

They both looked towards the window in question but the infamous couple had vanished. It took them a second to see them winding their way through the crowd back towards the table. Their hands were linked and beaming smiles lit both their faces.

Finn clapped his hands in glee "Look what we have here, gooey, twitter patted saps. Call me a Cock-eyed optimist but I do enjoy a good love story."

"I don't think you're supposed to call them saps. Didn't they test you that on your Yenta bar exam?" Logan asked with a half smile as he refilled glasses of champagne around the table and then handed one to Alice "You know Finn for a guy who avows himself an eternal bachelor you seem to have a rather large soft spot when it comes to true love."

Finn shrugged "What can I say, I'm a romantic at heart. I think love is a rather beautiful thing to watch as long as you're not the one experiencing it. It seems messy, treacherous, painful up close but from afar it's like a great Monet, all that chaos becomes art."

Logan rolled his eyes "Spoken like a true voyeur."

Finn just smiled "Someone has to be the audience, not everyone can be in the play, then who would record it for posterity? Lucian said 'The historian should be fearless and incorruptible; a man of independence, loving frankness and truth; one who, as the poets say, calls a fig a fig and a spade a spade.' It's a dirty job but some one has to do it."

Logan laughed, "Yeah, you're a regular Niall Ferguson."

Finn sniffed delicately "I don't write Virtual History, I am but a humble scribe who records the events as I see them, my first work I intend to title An Ode to The Beautiful Sickness, that sickness being love of course, at once the curse and the blessing of mankind."

Logan just snorted in response "The day you fall under that curse I'm going to be the one cheering the loudest."

Finn shook his head with classic Finn surety "That day will never come mate, I'm immune to love."

Logan smiled now remembering his own not too distant proclamations in the same bent "I'd bet good money that someday love will bite you in the ass and even you won't have the antidote."

Finn ignored this last comment as Colin and Stephanie stopped in front of the table and Colin cleared his throat and then started to speak "Steph and I have something to tell you..."

The words had barely left his mouth when Finn was leaping up and dancing around them in a good impression of Danny Kaye in the Court Jester. "Hello young lovers, may I be the first to congratulate you and say love looks good on you two kids." He was like a rather enthusiastic golden retriever managing to somehow cram himself between the two young lovers and fling an arm around each of their shoulders, he looked from one face to the other as Colin glowered and Stephanie laughed.

Colin's tone was a little sulky "You are such a spotlight hog, the one time I have something good to tell and you steal my thunder."

"Gloating rights mate." Finn said with a grin.

Colin snorted, "What have you got to gloat about?"

Finn's eyes widened and he looked at Logan with a hurt expression "Now how's that for gratitude? After all we've done, why if it weren't for us young Romeo here would no doubt still be pining after our heroine, writing her sugary love poems and burning them in his fireplace." He gave Colin a wicked glance as Colin paled slightly and he continued in a saccharine tone as if reading a poem in front of him from his hand

My Love

Stephanie is

A Queen to My Frog Self

I Love From A Far This Magic

Butterfly

"Not the most lyrical example of a cinquain but descriptive nonetheless." Finn gave him a playful smile.

"I...I never...I didn't...I"

Colin flushed crimson and sputtered as he whipped his head towards Stephanie but it was a less than successful defense as Finn cocked an eyebrow at him daring him to continue "Wouldn't deny too much if I were you friend... I've only scratched the surface of the secrets I know. A little advice...next time you want to keep your works of genius to yourself I'd go with a paper shredder."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at Finn and then turned to Colin with a smile on her face and put a gentle hand to his scarlet cheek "You really wrote a poem for me?"

Colin blushed slightly and his eyes fell but he shrugged when he realized he was cornered, he never had been good at lying to Stephanie "Yeah...once..." Finn coughed pointedly and gave Colin an admonishing look "Okay maybe more than once." He gave Finn a quick glare before he looked back at Stephanie "What can I say, I was young and foolish and in love."

Stephanie stared into his eyes and her heart split wide at that sweet expression that told her those were no easy flippant words, this boy loved her with all he had. "I love you Colin McKenzie Bradshaw and you better not forget that you're my frog now."

She kissed him hard and then broke away with a brilliant smile that they shared for an instant before they realized they still had an audience, She turned her head to look at Finn who was still inches from their faces and watching with head tipped and a smile playing on his lips. She rolled her eyes as she pushed him back a step and looked at Colin again "I think we've got ourselves a peeping Finn."

Logan sat grinning at the table and tipped his glass of champagne to them "Look at the rookie, first time off the bench and he hits a home run. I think this calls for a toast." He passed glasses of champagne to them and raised a glass "To beginners luck."

Stephanie drank but then looked up at the group a bit sheepishly "Nice sentiment but I'd hardly claim to be a beginner at this game."

Logan shook his head slowly thinking of his own recent firsts "I think we're all beginners when it comes to love."

Alice who had been silent until now took a long sip of her champagne before setting the glass down with a little thunk "I think this calls for a song."

Finn's eyes widened slightly in joyful parody of a dog being told it was time for a walk, Logan thought he would have wagged his tail if he had one "Now that is the best idea I've heard all night. Any suggestions?"

"How about Some Enchanted Evening?"

Finn looked liked he'd died and gone to whatever heaven would take a colorful character such as himself "Rodger's and Hammerstein, their my favorite. You know Broadway?"

Alice smiled jauntily "My second love after the realm of Rivendell."

Finn grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of her seat "I have no idea what you just said but Broadway I understand, lets sing sister. Do you know _Love Makes the World Go Round_?"

"Of course, who do you take me for a troll?"

"Surely not...although I'm not certain what actually makes one a troll. Maybe you can explain it to me later." He offered her an arm "I think I know where we can get a microphone. Come on babe, why don't we paint the town - and all that jazz. "

As they skipped off into the crowd Colin and Stephanie just shook there heads and slid into their seats.

Logan looked at them again and thought that Finn was right; love did look good on them. "So do I get to hear the juicy details?"

Stephanie arched an eyebrow at him "Who are you The Insider? I think you'll just have to wait for the memoirs like the rest of the world."

"No fun."

"Hey, I don't see you sharing details about where you and Woodward disappeared to for the last half an hour and why your hair is looking less than it's usually styled self." She laughed when he glanced down at his glass "I'd guess kitchen pantry or coat closet but Woodward doesn't seem much like a coat check kind of girl to me."

He glanced down at his drink a bit sheepishly "How about we stick with non-disclosure."

"Wise choice lover boy. Where is the girl in charge anyway?"

Logan looked back at the hallway that she had disappeared down a few moments ago and his brow furrowed "She went to find her mom or Luke or her dad...it was a little jumbled."

Colin raised an eyebrow at this "Wait a minute, her dad is here? Did you meet him?"

Both Colin and Stephanie watched a completely foreign occurrence as a slight hint of red crept from Logan's collar to his face "Uh...yeah...in a manner of speaking, we weren't really introduced though, the circumstances were a bit, shall we say, uncomfortable."

Colin, clearly not getting the drift of the conversation wrinkled his brow "You mean because you're dating Rory?"

Logan flushed even darker and had a difficult time making eye contact as he answered "No, I think it had more to do the fact that he was three sheets to the wind and Rory and I were engaged in rather amorous activity when he blundered upon us."

Colin finally got it and who hooted in laughter "Oh my god, he walked in on you making out with his daughter? "

Logan glared but they both noted he did not deny and Stephanie joined in the laughter "This is rich, the imperturbable ladies man, the smooth no situation he can't talk himself out of Logan Huntzberger speechless."

Logan's tone was wounded "I wasn't speechless, I was just..." he closed his eyes as he pictured it and his words were slightly sheepish "Half-dressed."

Stephanie shook her head, as she laughed, "What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on that wall."

Colin looked thoughtful "Why didn't you just lock the door?"

Logan gave him a disgruntled stare "You know slugger I'm not really looking for advice on my clandestine make out sessions."

Luckily their raucous laughter was drowned out by a loud crackle and a boom as all attention shifted to the stage where Finn and Alice stood now with a microphone clutched in Finn's hand. Logan sighed and lowered his head to his hands "Well hell, I guess I'm going for a clean sweep of it, now not only will her mom and dad detest me but her grandparents will have me blacklisted and banned from the premises along with my idiotic friends."

Finn's voice rang out over the crowd "The time has come folks, many of you have begged me to sing, to dance, to entertain you this evening so here it is, a little musical tribute to my friends who found love, brave fools that they are..."

Gravity more than desire had Christopher falling into the chair and it was helped along a bit by a not so gentle push from Lorelai. He watched her with slightly unfocused eyes as she paced in front of him. The beating rage of a father's will to protect still pounded through his blood but now the effects of too many tumblers of scotch in too little time was starting to catch up with him and the combination left his head swimming. Lorelai's jerky agitated movements really weren't helping his equilibrium much either.

He managed after two failed attempts to snag her arm on one of her laps past him and pulled her to a stop. "Can you sit please? I know it's my fault that I'm a little tipsy but it's not going to help this conversation if I have to have it with five of you."

She rounded on him and crossed her arms, the tight, contained posture suggesting that perhaps she didn't trust her hands not to do him bodily harm if they were set loose. He shivered a bit, part of him reveled in their banter and argumentative conversational style but that was all in good fun, the primary form of communication for two people who had learned sarcasm before they could walk and used it as both shield and weapon, but Lorelai truly enraged was a sight to behold and not soon to be forgotten. Mt. Vesuvius the day it buried Pompeii was probably a lesser source of terror.

Her voice matched the posture, low, contained, only hinting at the depths of the hole he had dug himself "What are you doing here Christopher?"

He sucked in a tiny breath hoping she didn't notice that her blow hit him dead in the chest. Damn her for cutting right to the chase. He wasn't ready for that question so he deflected. He had always been good at deflection, at turning a conversation so that he never had to answer the hard questions, never had to face the hard truths, not always the better part of valor but it served him well in the moment. He pointed to the spot recently vacated by their daughter "First lets talk about that. Who is that guy and what do you know about him?"

She gave him an exasperated look and the arms remained crossed "That's the best you can do? Not your most subtle segue... I think you're losing your magic touch; you used to be the Houdini of a subject change. Must be all the scotch killing brain cells as we speak."

He rolled his eyes in response although he regretted it a little when the room spun a bit "I'm really not up to this dance right now Lor."

She held her position "That's too bad, I was kind of looking forward to a good one man revue, it's usually quite amusing to watch you do the avoidance shuffle. Might make me forget that I want to strangle you right now."

He sighed "Sorry to disappoint but I think I'm one overfilled scotch and one underdressed daughter past a tap-dance.

That had a little corner of her mouth quirking although she struggled to remain dour "Not even a little Guy Holden shimmy?"

Christopher winced "Ouch, that was a little on the pointed side."

She feigned innocence "I thought you'd be prepared for my witty repartee."

"I am usually, but the Gay Divorcee? That's acerbic even for you."

Lorelai shrugged but knew it had been bit on the lowbrow side "Hey, if the tap shoe fits."

He rallied "Technically I'm not a divorcee and I'm not gay, I'm..."

"Pie-eyed?" Lorelai supplied helpfully which earned her a half-hearted glare.

They were back on slightly lighter footing at least and that had him breathing a bit easier. He raised an eyebrow at her "Talk about mixing metaphors."

She protested, "Hey, I could be gay about pie. Besides I think it's you who has been mixing things that should never be mixed. Alcohol and unsolicited fatherly tirades for one."

He rolled his eyes again and patted the chair next to him "I call truce... are we going to play Leno and Lettermen and trade petty insults or do you want to sit down and discuss our daughter like adults?'

She considered him for a moment and her voice turned a tad more serious although her tone was still a little playful "I kind of wanted to be Leno, my mom always said I had such a huge head, might as well put it to some use. Besides, I wasn't aware that we had reached the adult stage just yet. We excel at arrested development and I had us pegged at about the tenth grade tossing witty insults at each other instead of dodge balls."

Christopher almost laughed but then sobered at the thought of all that had transpired since the days of dodge balls and word play. "Lets try the adult thing okay."

Lorelai saw something in his face that made her take the seat next to him and turn to face him as he asked his question again "What do you know about this guy?"

"She knows him, she likes him, and I trust her judgment." She said it matter of factly, period at the end, sentence complete.

Christopher scoffed a little "You, Lorelai Gilmore, the woman who could make Kristof quit the debate and hide under his desk to avoid you have no opinion? That's like saying the pope has just become a Muslim."

"It could happen, I hear the pontiff is quite open minded these days." Lorelai shook her head slightly and gave in "Fine. I like him, of course I like him... he's you..." she barely paused and sailed on in her ramble effectively blocking any response he might have made "He's a smartass, he's got a brain, he's a little dangerous and he challenges Rory, all of which put him on my good list but even more importantly he cares about our daughter and despite what I'm sure is a checkered past I see in the way that he looks at her that he would never hurt her intentionally. However, none of that is the point because my previous answer stands as my official statement on the record."

Chris gave her an incredulous look "How can you trust a guy like him with our little girl."

"I don't have to trust him, I trust Rory who much as it pains me to say is no longer a little girl." Lorelai looked at him as if perhaps she had just encountered a completely alien life form and she shook her head in disbelief "Jesus Christopher, do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth? I don't know if it was the effect you were going for or not but about ten minutes ago I could have mistaken you for my father the likeness was so spot on. You've been going a little heavy on the sauce if you really don't remember that twenty years ago the couple of kids in the coatroom was us? That _guy_ was you. Hell, that was us two years ago at Sookie's wedding."

She shook her head "If you ask me Rory's already managed to jump a lot of hurdles that tripped us up and I can't take all the credit for that. We were smart, nearly as smart as she is but she's more cautious, she takes life a step at time, considers the destination at the end of the journey." She shook her head slightly and looked down at her hands "I don't know where she got it because you and I never were any good at that...maybe it's kind of like being psychic and it skipped a generation or something."

She trailed off and looked back at him again "Don't you see Christopher? She likes him and I trust her. I have to trust her. The only other option is to become my mother, to try so hard to protect her, to keep her inside the walls of the little world that I know that I end up building a beautiful cage for her rather than letting her experience life for herself. We can't tell her how to live her life, what to experience...who to love. That's part of what growing up is about, what living is about and no matter how much we love her it's not our right to take that away from her just to make ourselves feel better or safer"

Lorelai's words sank in slowly but they rang with a truth that even a drunk protective father couldn't ignore. He saw clear as day what a fool he had made himself. He groaned as he dropped his head into his hands picturing the look of horror and anger on Rory's face. "You're right, I don't' know what came over me, I saw Rory and some half naked guy and it was like I was channeling my father or that guy on Meet the Parents."

Lorelai slumped in her chair grateful that the battle was over "Robert De Niro? Shooting a little high there don't you think hon? This being your first protective father bit I'd take it slow, maybe start with a little Bill Cosby and work your way up to The Terminator, not everyone can be a star their first time on stage."

He shook his head in self-recrimination "God, she must hate me right now."

Lorelai touched him on the shoulder in comfort "That's part of being a parent sometimes, you can't always be the best friend even though you want to be." She smiled sympathetically "Lucky for you Rory forgives easily, the girl can hold a grudge but she's never been good at the whole hate thing."

Christopher laughed a little as he stared at his hands "I hope you're right. We were just getting back on even ground."

He put his head in his hands for a moment and stared at the floor until something caught his eye, he slowly bent down to pick up what appeared to be an errant button from the floor in front of him and turned it over in his fingers before he held it up to the light "Any guesses as to the origin of this?"

Lorelai waved a hand as if blocking the mental image "First lesson of parenthood, sometimes a little information is too much information, unless of course you want to do a Judy and self-medicate yourself into a coma."

Christopher shook his head a little at the way this incredible woman in front of him always seemed to find her balance no matter what the world threw her way. "I'll take that advice to heart. Maybe you should teach a class for us newcomers... 101 things not to do as a parent."

Lorelai grinned and patted him on the shoulder her voice so dry it could have turned mud to dust "Oh hun, I wouldn't worry about that, from this little display I'd say you got that one all figured out. In fact give Gigi a few more years and you may even have to teach that class yourself."

Chris sighed and leaned his head back in the chair "Yeah, I guess Rory doesn't really count for me, I didn't have to do much with her, she came nearly finished by the time I got to her. How did you do it Lor?"

Lorelai smiled with a slight nostalgia "Well, I'd be lying to say that it was all peaches and cream and scenes from the Brady Bunch, I mean there was crying and shouting and crazy tantrums...sometimes she even had to send me to my room." She grinned and this elicited a chuckle "Cold hard truth Chris ...I got really lucky with Rory, we got lucky. I hope your streak holds with Gigi."

Chris sighed again the fatigue evident in his voice "Yeah, I'm thinking if God gives out favors I better take a number in that line because I'm going to be needing a few. I'm just hoping there's not a quota. A couple of months and I'm already begging for divine intervention, I don't see how you did it all alone, even with the best kid in the world it's so hard, it's lonely. How did you survive? How did you keep your head above water and not let it drown you? Let it make you into something, well, less than you?"

Lorelai turned to face him and her voice was for once deadly serious "I like to think that I would have been a good person, that I could have lived the life that Rory is living, college and a big career but I don't know Chris. I don't know if that's really true given my bent for rebellion and trouble making, I didn't have her drive or her sense of direction so I could have ended up on a very different path. What I do know is that having Rory, having her in my life has made me better."

Christopher smiled as he grabbed her hand in an impulsive gesture of affection and he looked into her eyes, those stunning azure eyes that seemed a window into her soul and his voice was soft "Yes it has. I admire you Lor, everything you have, and everything you've made for yourself, with Rory and in your life. You're happy and I want that for you." Something in his voice had changed, gained a wistful quality that had the hairs raising on the back of Lorelai's neck and her own voice went slightly guarded as she tried to ease her hand out of his grip.

She looked at him for a long moment before she asked "Christopher, why are you here?" this time the question was a little fearful.

He saw the instant that little flare of wariness entered her eyes and she started to pull her hand back but he gripped it harder preventing her escape "Lor, I want you to be happy and I see you with Luke and he obviously makes you happy..."

She interrupted, her voice now tinged with just the slightest hint of desperation "Chris, please..."

He continued, knowing that if he didn't say the words now, he might never get the chance again. He had watched her with Luke for a while earlier, watched them dancing, laughing, the little touches, the quick kisses and he had seen it, a peace, a happiness that he hadn't see in her for a very long time. He knew in his heart that this might be his last chance at turning the tide. It came out in a rush all the words that lay heavy on his heart "Lor...let me finish, I have to say this. I could make you happy, I could be the guy, the one who makes you smile, the one who loves you. I want to be that guy."

She wanted to interject, to beg him to stop, not to make her chose, but his eyes pleaded with her to stay her execution of his hopes so she let him continue, thinking maybe that like lancing a wound this confession would cleanse him once and for all of the what ifs. Cleanse them both.

"I know I've screwed up a lot, for a long time I was running, not from you but from everything, from myself really. But I'm here now, I want to be with you, I want to make you happy, I want us to be a family. We belong together Lorelai... everyone knows it, I know it. There has never really been anyone else but you." He could see just the slightest indecision in her eyes and saw a crack open so he pushed onward grabbing her upper arms and pulling her towards him "We belong together Lorelai, you and me and Rory."

The words echoed eerily in her head. She felt frozen in that split second, teetering between two worlds. She was happy with Luke, she loved Luke, but here suddenly was everything she had wanted for so long laid out like one lovely buffet and all she had to do was reach out and take it, make that mirage a reality. She felt paralyzed by confusion, indecision, fettered by dreams long past, torn by those recently dreamt.

His lips inched closer to her as he pulled her towards him until suddenly something inside her fell into place, the piece that had always been missing, the piece that was not this man about to kiss her.

She snapped out of her trance and she put up a hand on his chest to push him away "Chri..." her voice halted mid-syllable when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye that a second later resolved into an image of a man, a man with eyes that slashed her with their pain and gutted her in one fell swoop.

She bolted from her seat shaking off Christopher's shackling hands with the strength born of panic and took a large step towards the man in the door way "Luke...I... it's not what you think."

Luke's voice was low and flat and all the more powerful for it "I think that maybe he's right. Maybe you do belong with him."

Her voice came out on a choked denial as her heart dropped to her feet "No."

Luke gave her a look that slashed her straight through the heart "Was that what you would have said to him if I hadn't opened that door when I did?"

"Yes...I mean NO, I mean I would have said no, to him. Nothing happened, nothing was going to happen, you are the one I want Luke, you've got to believe me." Her voice was desperate, pleading.

Luke felled her with a single blow as his eyes raked her face "Why?"

He turned and strode from the room leaving her trembling for the time it took her to gather her wits, then she started after him.

Lorelai watched Luke go with stricken eyes that stabbed Chris to the heart but it didn't stop his hand from taking on a life of it's own and reaching out to stop her when she stepped forward to go after him.

"What are you doing?" It was a stupid question and they both knew it, obviously she was going after the man that she loved, the man that she had chosen.

Lorelai shrugged off the hand with an angry jerk and rounded on him "I'm going after Luke, who probably won't ever speak to me again after this, but I have try. What made you do it Chris? Couldn't stand to see me happy?"

Christopher recoiled as if she had slapped him, cut to the quick by the accusation in her voice "No Lor, I want you to be happy, I just want it to be with me. I love you; I've loved you as long as I can remember. You and I we have been a part of each other's lives for so long, but it seems like the timing has never been right with Rory and me getting my life together, then there was Max and Sherry and Gigi." He threw up his hands in one of those exaggerated gestures that come from too much alcohol mixed with too much pent up emotion. "It just seemed like now might finally be our chance, but then there was Luke and you look so happy, I guess it just broke my heart a little and I couldn't let you go without trying. I would have regretted it for ever."

"Chris, I can't do this now, I can't let you be the thing that I regret forever. I have to talk to Luke, fix things. I just hope it's not too late." She was filled with such a jumble of emotions that she could hardly see straight but there was one that outdistanced all the others and that was sheer panic, she had to get to Luke, had to make this right before it became a ever widening chasm between them. Fear was clawing at the back of her throat as she whirled on her heel and headed for the door at a sprint, the rules be damned, she'd run until her legs fell off if it meant this could be fixed.

Rory had just taken a step into the hallway when she was nearly bowled over by Luke coming the opposite direction. He reached out an automatic hand to steady her and the look she saw in his kind eyes was enough to have her sucking in a breath.

"I'm sorry." The comment was automatic and his mind was clearly not on the words.

She tried to hold the dread at abeyance and asked a careful neutral question "Did you find mom?"

"Yeah...I found her." the darkness that filled his tone spoke of hopelessness. He looked like a caged animal, eyes darting as they searched for the nearest escape "I'm sorry Rory, I've got to go. I need to think, I can't think here with the people and the music. I have to get out of here."

He let go of her arm and started to step away but her hand shot out to stop him "What happened?"

He didn't even look at her, just gently shook of the hand and patted it once. "I'm going to take a cab...you'll get your mom home?" it wasn't a question.

Rory just nodded as the dread gathered at the back of her throat, then he was walking away, striding with purposeful steps towards the exit.

She whirled and continued down the hallway opening doors at random until she found what she was looking for. She stopped in the doorway when she saw that the only person in the room was her father, sitting, head in hands with a posture that suggested total dejection. She hesitated, not sure she was ready for their next encounter to be quite this soon, still feeling the slight sting of anger and of embarrassment after the earlier run in.

It was the shaking of his shoulders that had her feet moving. A little embarrassment couldn't make her stop caring about the man who although far from perfect was still her father.

She sat down in the chair next to him, unaware that she had taken the seat only just vacated by her mother and she reached out a slightly tremulous hand to rest on his shoulder. He lifted his head quickly apparently unaware of his company until that moment. "Lor?" the hopeful tone died when his eyes landed on Rory. "Oh, Rory. I thought..." he brushed a hand surreptitiously across his cheek trying to hide the moisture there. "Never mind."

He looked at the girl before him, the girl whom he had just shouted at in front of her boyfriend and claimed not to trust and he saw the empathy, the caring, and the forgiveness in those eyes, eyes so like her mothers. What he had done, coming here today had been selfish and small and he didn't deserve that forgiveness, not from either of them but he was going to try to earn it. He straightened slightly and took the hand that lay on his shoulder. "Rory, I just want to apologize about my outburst earlier...your mom was right, I should have trusted you. You're a good kid and I have to hope you have a hell of a lot better judgment than I do."

Rory searched his eyes but saw only sincerity there so she let go of the residual anger, forgave him, as was her nature to do. "It's gone, the hard drive is wiped clean...no worries."

He shook his head "I don't know what got into me."

She gave a little laugh and couldn't help a little sarcasm "I'm thinking the spirit of Glenlivet?"

Christopher winced at that well placed jab but recovered quickly "Talisker actually."

Rory laughed slightly at that "Whoo...when you pick your poison you sure go for top of the barrel."

He squinted a little at her "Do I want to know how you came to know so much about brands of scotch?"

"I have a friend who considers himself something of a connoisseur... enough babbling litanies to the gods of the single malt and a little is bound to stick in my brain. I fear we've exhausted the extent of my knowledge though." She smiled at him, a peace offering.

Christopher nodded and looked at her for a moment before asking in a slightly hesitant voice "So, we okay kid?"

Rory nodded "Yeah, we're okay. Every dad is allowed a few major fouls, you have a few to catch up on so we'll let this one slide."

Christopher smiled a little "Good." He gave her a little sideways hug and then pulled away with a little of the usual humor in his eyes "So...about this friend...wouldn't happen to be the guy I nearly caught you naked as a jay bird with would it?"

"Dad..." her tone was censuring and her cheeks pinking, "You're doing it again."

He held up his hands in supplication "Sorry, sorry, it's the poison talking.'

Rory just shook her head at him "And did you just say naked as a jaybird? Are you channeling an entire hippie nudist colony now? You seriously need to work on your euphemisms before Gig starts dating boys."

He pretended outrage at such a dastardly suggestion. "Hold your tongue evil child...Gigi is never going to date boys...she's going to be a nun."

Rory just patted him on the shoulder, glad that a little of the easiness had returned to their interaction "Not a bad goal but if I were you I'd start working on a backup plan." She regretfully shifted the topic "So dad, I'm glad that we figured this out but do you know where mom went, I saw Luke and I'm kind of worried about her."

Christopher sighed and sadness cloaked his features like a veil had been dropped obscuring the humor of the previous moment "She went after him. You should find her. She needs you."

Rory stood "Okay." She paused at the door with a backward glance "You're going to be okay?"

The question nearly brought another tear to his eyes...he didn't deserve her comfort. He waved her away "I will be. You just find Lorelai."

She looked down the hallway but saw no sign of her. She turned back to her dad "Do you know which way she went?" the words had barely left her mouth when she heard an alarm start to wail from the far end of the hallway where it vanished out of sight around a corner. "Never mind...I think I found her." despite all previous protests to the contrary she hit the hallway at a run.

Lorelai darted her eyes from one end of the hallway to the other realizing she had no idea which way Luke had gone, but if she knew him he would be looking to get away. She knew there was an exit to the parking lot at the far end of the hallway so she set off for it at a run. She ran like her life depended on it. She had to catch Luke, to tell him again that nothing had happened, that she knew what she wanted now and what she wanted was him, that she didn't want to imagine the crater that would be left in her life if he were suddenly not a part of it. She was oblivious to the Emergency Exit Only sign and slammed through the door with all her weight not even hearing the shrill whine of the alarm that followed her steps into the parking lot. She searched the lot frantically until her eyes landed on the taillights of a cab as it pulled on to the road. It was too far away to see it's occupant but her heart knew who was in that passenger seat. She felt her knees give out and she slumped against the door at her back, certain that she would have crumpled to the ground had it not been for her death grip on the emergency exit sign. She dropped her chin to her chest and fought for breath around the elephant sized weight that had taken up residence there. She wanted to shatter into a billion pieces, to fall to that hard asphalt at her feet and allow herself to be swamped by the wave of fear and loss that was building inside her. She wanted to think that this wasn't the end, that one stupid moment of indecision, of weakness couldn't have changed everything so quickly but she had seen Luke's eyes and she would be lying to herself if she thought anything but the truth. This was her fault. She shuddered once with suppressed self-loathing and clung to the door for support.

Rory found her that way, head bowed, shoulders slumped and still as death as she stared blindly at the ground, surrounded by the cacophony of the wailing alarm. She looked smaller, defeated, and lifeless. Rory approached slowly as one might a wounded animal and was beginning to worry that she had stopped breathing all together, that all that stood here was her mother's corpse devoid of all life. Then she watched as Lorelai took a deep breath that caught on an almost sob. She spoke finally, her voice low and grating and filled with self-incrimination "I screwed up kid. This time I really screwed up." She still hadn't taken her vigilant stare from the patch of asphalt in front of her.

"What happened mom?" the question was careful.

She was silent for a long time and Rory wondered if she had even heard her but then she answered "Luke..." her voice broke a little "he saw...Chris and I...he thought...I hesitated...I couldn't' catch him."

She looked up at that and the utter misery in her eyes had Rory's own chest clenching in pain as she stepped forward to try to pull that death grip from the door. She came woodenly, stiff and cold and Rory could do nothing but soothe, in soft tones and murmured reassurances which she doubted Lorelai even heard. "He's gone...I didn't catch him and now he's gone and I'm afraid it's for good."

She gathered her mother into her arms like one would a fragile, broken child and rocked her. "Mom, it's okay. It's Luke. He loves you; he waited this long for you he's not going to walk away now. He'll come back. He just needs time to think."

Lorelai looked up at her with shattered eyes that held only unshed tears and bleak truth "You didn't see his eyes."

There was nothing that could refute the voice of despair so Rory settled for the next best thing pushing Lorelai's hair back off her face and asking in a gentle voice "Do you want to leave? We can go home. You can rest. Tomorrow you can talk to him, you can explain. Everything will be better tomorrow."

There was a long silence as Lorelai thought about that option, she could run, she could hide, find solace in her sanctuary and find a way to fix this mess that she had made. It wouldn't be right though, she didn't deserve the reprieve. With a strength inherent to her nature and honed by years of standing alone against the world she pulled all her feelings in, tied them down with ropes of steel and tightened the bonds until that ball of feeling had shrunk to a small tightly wound lump in her heart. Until nothing was left but the emptiness left in the wake of a storm. She straightened and pulled back from her daughter, stood tall one muscle at a time until her frame was as rigid and cold as steel.

She would persevere, emotional implosion was not an option right now, here in front of her daughter, her parents, there would be time latter to figure things out for now she had to fulfill her duty and make a clean exit. She put a hand that felt ice cold to the touch but was firm on Rory's shoulder "Let's go back in."

Rory protested, hating the haunted emptiness of her mother's gaze "Mom, I'm sure grandma and grandpa would understand if you just told them."

The only emotion that leaked through that ironclad shield was sadness "No Rory, they wouldn't understand and they won't have to. The don't need to know. I don't want to ruin this day for your grandparents. I've ruined too many of their important days."

She stepped resolutely through the door and only glanced back to gesture for Rory to follow she tried for a light off hand tone but fell a good way short "Come on kid, I don't need pity, I just need a ice cream, a good mindless movie, a couch and some coffee." She choked a bit at the last word but continued on "The sooner we go say our goodbyes the sooner I can make it back to wallowville."

Rory smiled wanly and played the game "Okay mom, let's make tracks and then I'll come home with you, we can watch Fawlty Towers until your eyes bleed and I'll get you as much ice cream as you can eat without turning into a snow man."

Lorelai wanted to take her up on it but she hated to take her away from her own night "Ah hun, you don't need to do that, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. You go back with Logan and your friends, at least one of us should have a happy ending to the night."

Rory jsut rolled her eyes "Are you finished with your martyr speech?"

Lorelai shrugged and looked slightly petulant "I was just warming up actually."

"Well don't bother and don't argue. This one you won't win. My mind is made up. I'm coming back with you and I'm not leaving until Stars Hollow runs out of Ben and Jerry's." She gave her the patented Gilmore 'I will not be moved' look.

The smile was a mere shadow of it's former self but it was genuine as Lorelai put her arm aroudn her daughter and bumped hips with her "You know you're pretty feisty and obstinate when you want to be...I think you got that from me."

"Undoutedly...no one does pig-headed better than Lorelai Gimore."

"Thanks Kid. Don't know what a girl would do without her best friend here to pick up the pieces."

They walked arm in arm back to the ballroom and stopped at the threshold. Lorelai took a deep breath and turned to her daughter, her beautiful, kind daughter with the worried eyes and smoothed a hand down her cheek "Don't worry sweets, I'll be fine. You go talk to Logan and the motley crew over there and I'll start saying my goodbyes...a few snapshots, some sappy hugs and we'll be out of here."

Rory looked at her suspiciously "Promise me you won't try to sneak out without me... I'd just have to come after you and I know where you live...more importantly I know which turtle you keep the key in."

Lorelai tried for a playful pout "Mean but I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eye." She crossed her heart solemnly with her pointer finger.

They peeled off in opposite directions as they entered the ballroom and Rory headed for the table where Logan, Stephanie and Colin sat with eyes riveted on something in front of them. She followed their eyes to the stage and her eyes widened as she took in the sight that met them. There, center stage with a microphone were Finn and Alice doing what appeared to be a passable re-enactment of A Chorus Line."

She put her hands on Logan's shoulders who turned his head slightly to place an absent minded kiss on her knuckles but never removed his eyes from the scene on the stage. She leaned down and whispered "I was only gone for a few minutes how did he manage to storm the stage? That must of been one hell of a military coup."

He chuckled "Not a drop of bloodshed. The bandleader GAVE him the mike of his own free will...I think there may have been hypnotization involved but if so it was a slight of hand. Finn could make a good living as a snake charmer."

She put her chin on his shoulder and watched for a moment "Okay, that explains Finn who wasn't all that surprising in the first place but how on earth did he get Alice up there with him?'

Logan shook his head "It seems that once our enchanted friend got a drink or two in her it became apparent that she has a bit of fixation on show tunes, another of Finn's many passions. You already missed South Pacific, West Side Story, Gypsy, Carnival, Wicked and a rather disturbing rendition of Little Shop of Horrors, my greatest fear is that Grease will be next."

Her tone was skeptical "What no one had a hook like in the Vaudeville days?"

Logan laughed a little incredulously as he watched Finn execute a rather impressive high kick "Actually I think he might get a standing ovation."

She laughed a little soaking in the moment of light hearted fun as she let her eyes scan the room, the majority of guests seemed to be enjoying the impromptu entertainment and she smiled at Finn's ability to win over a crowd.

Her smiled faltered a little when she saw her mother talking to her grandparents, Lorelai was tough but Rory knew the signs and the crossed arms and stiff posture indicated that she was close to the edge, that she was holding things together by sheer force of will. Rory sighed as she straightened from Logan's shoulders.

Logan heard the sad little sigh in his ear and tore his eyes from the stage to look at Rory. The worry that he saw in her gaze had him taking a closer look. She was upset about something and he was suddenly much more interested in what was bothering her than watching Finn make a fool of himself, there was no shortage of opportunities for the later. He put a hand over hers to stop the motion as she pulled back from him and met her eyes as she asked "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He was up and out of his seat in a second and followed her a short distance from the table before he stopped her and turned her back to face him "Is everything okay Ace?"

She looked up at him and felt a little catch in her heart when she saw the worry evident in his gaze. Her answer was soft "No, not really, but I hope it will be."

He didn't think twice but opened his arms and she came into them willingly, wanting nothing more than to sink into the warmth and comfort he offered. Only she couldn't afford to sink just now, she had to be there for her mom, to help her through this thing, whatever it was. It was what they did for each other; stood side by side no matter what came their way. His arms folding around her lulled her for a moment though and she decided it wouldn't hurt to take this one-minute of solace.

Logan's heart hurt for her and it was a new sensation for him. He wanted nothing more than to make things better for her, to assuage whatever pain had caused the heaviness in those lake blue eyes. It was foreign. this desire to stand for another, to take on another's burden but he didn't question it, just knew that it was. "Is there anything I can do to help?" his question was spoken into the silk of her hair but she heard it.

She gave him one last squeeze before she released her grip on him "You've already done more than you know. Just enjoy the rest of the party, go home with the group, dream pleasant dreams about me. I'm going home with my mom and I don't know how long I will be there but I'll let you know as soon as I get back to Yale."

He cupped her face in his hands and leaned in to give her a soft kiss. "Come see me when you get back. I don't care what time of day or night. I'll be waiting."

Her voice was soft the gratitude shining in her gaze "Thanks Logan... for everything."

He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger "Anything for you Ace. Anything." She knew from the look in his eyes that he was offering more than a shoulder to cry on.

She would have kissed him again but the shattering of crystal and the sound of shrill angry words that drowned out even the rousing strains of Finn's version of Fiddler on The Roof's _To Life_ pulled her back to reality. She whirled towards the center of the room from whence the sounds had emanated and blanched when she saw her mother, white and shaking and face to face with her grandmother across a puddle of broken glass.

"I've got to go Logan, I'll call you later." she tore herself from Logan's grasp and raced for her mother.

Rory reached Lorelai's shoulder just as she heard the next words uttered from her lips, lips that now looked cold and blue as if all blood flow to them had been cut off, stymied by the sheer rage that now flashed out of her eyes to incinerate the woman in front of her. "You did this...you invited Christopher?"

Emily had paled slightly but appeared unwilling to back down falling back on the imperious, cold tone that had gotten her through many a battle "I invited him, yes, anything after that was your choice, not mine, so don't try to lay the blame at my feet."

Lorelai's lips twisted in a cold, brittle smile that spoke nothing of warmth but rather of a predator sharpening its teeth and preparing to strike, her words shot out like venom, bitter, hard and sharp as a double edged sword "You really are a soulless, heartless creature mother. Where your heart should be there is nothing but a lump of ice pumping that precious blue blood of yours. Whatever this game you think you are playing is, it's over. You and I are finished." Where rage had been now there was nothing. Empty, emotionless words that were deadly as poisonous darts true in their aim. Lorelai turned with her head held high and stalked from the room oblivious to the crunch of glass under foot.

Emily and Rory both watched her go, frozen in place by the icy breeze that blew in her wake and then Rory looked at her grandmother, helpless to understand what would bring mother and daughter to such a bitter precipice. She knew that Emily loved her mother, had always forgiven her actions thinking them the ill-advised but not ill-intentioned actions of a woman who knew no other way to show love other than through shaping, controlling, providing what she thought best for the ones she loved. Now she saw a different woman, a smaller woman, a woman who selfishly held on to the things she loved even though it suffocated them, ultimately killed them. She saw in that instant that Emily Gilmore knew no other way to love and it broke her heart.

She backed away a step but then stopped her retreat with on last question "Why grandma?"

Emily's eyes swung towards her glazed with shock as if she were still trying to comprehend what had happened "I just want what's best for her." It was the honest answer and hopelessly inadequate.

Rory shrunk back from her and her tone neared pity "No, you want what's best for you. I feel sorry for you if you can't see the difference." She turned on her heel and ran after her mom.

The music on the stage had come to a halt and Emily felt the heavy, echoing silence fall as the blood froze in her veins and fear slammed her in the chest where her flesh and blood heart did reside. It was Richard's hand falling on her shoulder that startled her out of her trance and she looked at him with wide, vulnerable eyes "She's gone."

Richard patted her helplessly on the shoulder not knowing what to say, how to fix this catastrophe "Don't worry Emily she'll come around, she always does."

She shook her head slowly as she remembered the cold rage in Lorelai's eyes, the empty echoing finality of her daughter's tone "No Richard, this time she meant it. This time she's not coming back." She shivered a little as if suddenly feeling a chill and hugged her arms to herself.


	43. To Build or To Burn

Rory concentrated on the road in front of her, carefully keeping her white knuckled grip at ten and two on the steering wheel, holding on for dear life as if that were the only thing keeping her steady in this strange landscape. The silence was deafening, oppressive, all consuming. Lorelai, the woman for whom silence was usually anathema, had failed to utter a sound or syllable for close to twenty miles of winding black road. It was unnerving, frightening, the stuff of science fiction, perhaps aptly compared to the road into Dante's realm in its disturbing nature. Rory knew how to deal with a lot of Lorelai moods, angry, ranting, happy, giddy, sad...but this, complete and absolute silence, was something unprecedented in her nineteen years of experience with the mercurial Lorelai. Despite good relations they had endured their share of silent treatments, as mother and daughter that was sort of a given, but the crushing weight that seemed to suck every molecule of oxygen from the atmosphere around them, this was different, this was new. This was a catatonia that Rory wasn't certain could be solved with ice cream despite it's legendary healing powers.

She hated the silence but despised even more the idea of being the one to break it, feared that the wrong word uttered into that echoing chasm could be the one that broke the fragile dam that was holding her mother together. So she waited and tried to breath in the shadow of such smothering melancholia. She only slowed the car when they had passed the happy sign welcoming them to the burg of Stars Hollow, Connecticut and were winding their way through familiar streets. Rory was so tuned to the pale, drawn shell of Lorelai in the seat next to her that she didn't notice the figure of a man on the sidewalk as they drove past but her mother did and she came alive with a start, jolted into alertness by a familiar shape, a memorable walk.

"Stop." The commanding syllable echoed in the unearthly stillness and it took Rory a full second to comprehend the meaning of the word before she slammed on the brakes.

"Stop." Lorelai said again, this time in a whisper as she watched the figure pass the car window, she seemed frozen for an instant and then she was bursting from the car, leaving her overcoat and her discarded shoes without a thought as she raced to catch the man.

"Luke." Her voice seemed to carry a mile in the still night air, like a line in an old Katherine Hepburn movie that somehow floated above the noise of life around it and become the riveting point that could not be ignored. Her appeal flew through the air on wings of desperation and she saw the instant that it reached his ear, the split second that he hesitated before shrugging off the weight of that imploration and turned to enter his diner. She ran with a hell of eternal loneliness at her heels and somehow despite the argument of physics she reached the door a second before it closed with resounding finality.

Her stocking clad foot stopped the lock from clicking home by spare inches and she panted in relief and fear as her eyes met those of the man she loved. "Luke, please." Her voice cracked slightly but she barreled on in her plea for an audience pushing away all thought of what would happen if he shut that door, shut her out. "I have to talk to you. I need to explain."

Luke gave her a sad-eyed look that had her swallowing back the taste of panic but he didn't speak for a long still moment, letting that silence stretch to it's breaking point before he sighed in resignation "I need time Lorelai. You have to give me time. I can't do this tonight."

She felt the cold slide of fear in her gut as his words penetrated the cold shell she had built like a slicing blade. "Why?" she couldn't stop the word from slipping from her tongue. She knew she sounded frantic but couldn't muster the pride to care. Pride was nothing if this man, her friend and lover, locked the door on her tonight.

His eyes filled with pain that was gone in a trice but she saw the reflection of it even when those eyes had gone flat with determination and he repeated his own plea "I need time Lorelai, give me that."

She knew he was right. Knew that after all that had transpired in the space of a few hours she should take her foot out of the door, let him retreat and lick his wounds and hope that he chose to forgive her. She knew that she owed him that much.

She knew those things with her mind, a brain that was quick and agile and fully understood the ramifications of her actions but her heart would accept nothing less than absolution or destruction and in this moment her heart ruled supreme. "I can't Luke. I know it's horrible and selfish and needy but I have to know, what this means for us, what this means to you. I'm sorry." That last apology was tacked on by the brain but didn't budge the foot that had clearly turned traitor and now reported to the heart as master of this doomed ship.

Luke scrubbed a hand over his face in a familiar gesture that had her heart pounding as she waited for her sentence, knowing that reprieve was far from likely.

When he finally met her eyes through the slit of the open door the sorrow and resolve of that gaze cut into something that she had long held aloof, that part of her heart that she had protected as long as she could remember but that now lay in the hand of the man before her.

"I love _you _Luke, you're the one I want." It came out a whisper, an entreaty for something indefinable; understanding maybe, forgiveness certainly and the impossible ability to snatch back a regrettable moment in time and erase it from their collective memory.

He flinched and it broke something inside her to know that she had caused this man she loved to suffer but she couldn't seem to stop the tongue that had gone rogue on her "I'm so sorry about tonight, about my parents and Christopher, but you have to believe that nothing happened."

Finally he spoke and his tone was unerring despite the regret that shadowed it "This isn't about your parents, they are your family and love them or hate them, they will always be in your life. This isn't about Christopher either. He is Rory's dad and you and he have a history, I know that and I can accept that. What I can't accept is your uncertainty Lorelai. I've always believed that actions speak louder than words and the actions I saw tonight told me that you don't know what you want. You aren't ready to burn your bridges and be left with only me. Maybe you won't ever be ready and I need time to think about that. I told you I was in this for the long haul but I can't be in it alone, being in love doesn't make me suicidal."

There was a deep pause that seemed to all but throb with the intensity of their stare as the weight of his words settled onto her shoulders and into her heart. They echoed there in that cavern with the ring of truth. What did she want? She needed that answer to spring to her lips without thought, needed those words to be indelibly printed on her heart before she could ask him for the same.

Lorelai slowly pulled her foot back and allowed the weight of the door to close with a little thud so that the glass separated them. They stood there for a long moment staring into each other's eyes through that transparent barrier before Luke reached down slowly and turned the lock. It was a tiny noise, likened to the drop of a pin but Lorelai heard it as if it had been amplified a hundred fold and it rang in the emptiness that surrounded her. He held her gaze for a second longer before he turned away from the door and retreated, shutting off lights in his wake until she was left with only empty chairs and empty tables staring back at her through the darkened glass.

She stood there for a long time, how long she never knew because time had ceased to have meaning in her state of suspended animation. Her hand drifted up to the glass and lay there as if trying to reach through that hard brittle barrier to the man that lay beyond. All she wished was for the power to relive a moment in time, the moment where she had hesitated as Christopher had leaned in, the moment where Luke had opened the door and seen them together, seen that hesitation in her eyes, the moment where she had watched the lights of the cab disappear, the moment where she had stayed silent rather than shouting from the tallest mountain her love for a man who had just walked away from her.

It was Rory who pulled her from her silent vigil through the glass, Rory who walked her step by step away from a place that had been all but a second home to her, a place that she went for solace, friendship, entertainment, advice and finally love. It was Rory who shooed away Babette and Morry when all she could do was mumble incoherently. It was Rory who walked her up the steps and into her bed, who gave her ice cream and hugs, funny movie commentary and worried glances and it was Rory who tucked the blanket around her before she drifted into a fitful, nightmare haunted sleep.

Logan's eyes were riveted to the action in the center of the room. It was as if he was linked in some way to Rory and felt the pain that flitted across her delicate features, the disillusionment that cast a sad shadow in her eyes and the anger on her mother's behalf that had her toe to toe with her grandmother. It was disconcerting for those second hand emotions to feel so real, to have his gut clenching and his chest tightening and feel the almost physical need to speak, to defend, to protect her. Long after she had turned on her heel and followed her mother out of the ballroom he still stared at the spot she had vacated.

The ride back to Yale was a little surreal and not what he had expected when he had arrived at the wedding in high spirits only hours earlier. Colin and Stephanie were in the inane stage of new love, cooing and cuddling and generally causing dyspepsia in those with the misfortune to be their audience but he didn't begrudge them their moment, it had been long enough in the making to warrant a bit of celebratory bliss.

Finn and his elf queen had bonded over the thrill of musical entertainment and now were embroiled in discussion of their other shared passions, having covered music, literature and food in their travails it sounded as if they had now landed on art from the few snippets that Logan had managed to overhear. This preoccupation of his usual playmates left him disconcertingly alone with his thoughts and uncharacteristically pensive as he ruminated about the events of a wedding that could easily rival one of Shakespeare's great masterpieces for plot twists.

When they reached the campus Steph and Colin hightailed it out of the car with barely an excuse as to their destination, not that need have bothered since even Pollyanna no doubt would have guessed their plans for the tail end of the evening. A happy wave and a giggle and they were gone.

Finn slapped his strangely quiet friend on the shoulder "Cat got your tongue? Or does Woodward have that honor?"

Logan rolled his eyes and sighed, "Don't you have an elf to woo?"

Finn smiled winningly "I sang, I danced, I spilled my artistic dreams at her feet, magic or not she can't help but fall under my spell."

"Your own personal brand of magic, drown them in charm until they are so oxygen deprived they think you are the second coming."

"Plus I get to give them CPR." Finn cackled gleefully and rubbed his hands together then looked over at Logan and wiggled his eyebrows "This one will be fun though...she is a repressed artist, my favorite kind of soul to save from the shackles of convention."

"Yeah, you're a regular liberator." Logan's tone was a shade off dry.

Finn put a hand top his chest with great drama and his voice carried in the night air "Give me liberty or give me death."

He held out his arm to a clearly enamored Alice "Come my queen we should not tarry in our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. To the canvas we go."

Finn cast a look over his shoulder smiled his wicked smile "I'd invite you to join us but I think the creation of art is more of a two person activity."

That left Logan as a crowd of one. He stood there for a moment pondering his options. He could go to the Pub but drinking alone didn't hold much allure tonight. He was sure he could scare up a party or two, someone in the LDB was always throwing a bash for something, but he wasn't really in the mood for more people or chaos. The night had sort of set a record for that already. Instead he set out in the direction of his dorm room. He could use some time alone he reasoned after all with the normal amount of time with his zany crew of friends and now the added time he had been spending with Rory it sounded like a nice idea to have one evening to himself. At least that was the story he told himself.

The story didn't hold up for long. By midnight he had discarded both the new biography about Marie Curie and the newspaper, he had gone through ten music selections, most of the contents of his cupboards and had managed less than five minutes of Paris Hilton's Saturday Night Live monologue before giving up in disgust as Rory's amusing remarks about Paris' book overtook the sound on the TV in his head. He flipped the station but found nothing that caught his interest. He was missing something, some little thing that niggled at the back of his brain and was driving him to insanity. He was agitated, unsettled and he didn't know why.

He prowled his suite like a restless cat in the wild and then stopped dead in the center of the room as his eyes lit on his phone sitting on the coffee table. He stared at it for a long shuddering moment fighting an internal struggle that some part of him would not let go. Then he gave in to the urge that had coalesced in his mind, the desire that he had been resolutely ignoring for the last two hours. He dialed the number quickly trying not to think about what this meant for his days as a proud member of the never need anyone club.

He pretended it was just concern that drove him but it was a lie and he knew it the second her voice came over the phone "Hello?"

She was half whispering but the sound still settled into his restless soul like a lullaby, somehow instantly soothing that ragged, unidentifiable edginess that had plagued him. Suddenly that thing that he had been missing had a name. "Hey Ace..." he paused not really sure what to say, he didn't really have a reason to call that couldn't have waited until morning, this whole calling just to hear her voice thing was new for him so he fumbled a bit "I was calling to make sure you got home okay." It sounded like a lame excuse to his ears but she seemed to accept it.

He heard the click of a door and then her voice came across a little louder "Yeah, we made it... we may not be okay yet but we are in one piece. Thanks though. For calling I mean." Her voice was tinged with weariness and something he would call worry.

"You want to talk about it?" the words had spilled from his lips before he thought better of them. He wasn't usually they girl talk kind of guy but it had seemed like the right thing to say.

Her voice came across slightly surprised "No, that's okay, I don't want to bore you with the details. It's not really about me anyway. A lot of its ancient history and it makes for a long story."

He plopped down on the sofa and kicked his feet up on the coffee table before he said what came to his lips going with his heart rather his mind on this one. "I've got no place else to be. I'm here if you want to talk."

There was a long pause "You don't have to do that Logan, I don't expect you to suddenly want to listen to my sob stories just because we are dating. I know you're not usually the shoulder to cry on guy. That's okay. I like you the way you are."

He paused a bit at his own answer but couldn't doubt his own sincerity in this "You're right I'm not usually that guy but right now for some reason I want to be. Don't make me explain I don't think I could even if I tried. Just do me a favor and humor me okay, I don't think I can handle any more self-examination today."

She laughed a little "Well okay, but purely as a favor to you. Don't forget that you asked for it later when you are wondering what possessed you to want to know the tangled saga of the Gilmore clan."

He chuckled lightly "I consider myself forewarned. Spin your yarn dear narrator, I'm sure it's a pot boiler."

"Oh trust me there are pots and cauldrons and kettles of all sorts in this tale." She was warming to her subject now. "It all started in the golden days of yore when two young troublemakers were born into families renowned for their wealth and fine upstanding behavior. Let me tell you that didn't last long once young Lorelai and Christopher came upon the scene."

He listened as she talked with affection about the characters in her story. Her mother, her grandparents and the two men who held equal hold on her heart as a father. It was quite an allegory of real life, the kind that wasn't all neat and clean but got your hands messy and your heart tied in knots. He liked to think that he had lived life to the fullest in his own right but he admitted to himself that there were few people that he had opened up his heart to in the space of that time. Yet somehow this girl spilling her life at his feet had gotten under his skin. At first it had felt a little uncomfortable, like a sliver that irritated and inflamed, now it felt like she belonged there. He needed her there.

"Logan?"

Her voice broke through his thoughts "Hmm?"

"Why did you really call tonight?' her question was a little thoughtful as if she were working on a puzzle and he could all but picture her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she analyzed.

"I don't know." It was an automatic retort to a question he wasn't sure he was ready to answer.

"Oh. Okay." She paused before her tone changed to that of a slightly timorous confession "Well, I'm glad you did."

It was that simple, she was glad and it squeezed something inside of him that was half joy and half fear until it burst and the words tumbled out "I missed your voice." There he had said it.

"My voice?"

Leave it to her to ask one more question...always one more question, her inquisitive brain would be death of him "I missed you, al right. I like having you around and I missed you when you weren't here." He was getting a bit testy now; never all that comfortable with revealing his heart even to someone he cared about.

"You missed me?" she seemed to be having trouble with this concept.

"You know Ace you sure know exactly how to make a guy feel like an idiot about baring his innermost thoughts." His tone had gone defensive.

"I'm sorry, it's just that, well it's only been a couple of hours but I miss you too, don't you think that's a little weird. I mean we were perfectly self-sufficient people a week ago and now suddenly we are apart a few hours and I feel better, happier when I get to talk to you. That's a little scary." She had said exactly what was in his mind and it calmed him. He suddenly understood, she wasn't really questioning him she was questioning herself.

"I'd rather face that fear now than stand at the end of this road and be afraid that I let something really good slip by because I let it stop me." He paused and almost laughed at his next comment, there were legions of girls who would swoon if they heard these words from his lips "I'm not sure how it happened but I need you Rory Gilmore."

There was silence, the deep soul searching kind that had him holding his breath then the words that had him breathing deep of blessed oxygen. "I need you to Logan."

"I never doubted it." He tried for cocky but failed utterly and ended up sounding relieved.

She laughed delightedly now that the scary part was past "Yeah, that tone definitely said I am Logan Huntzberger hear me roar."

His tone was laced with mock affront "Hey, I could make a good Lion King. You want to hear me roar?"

"Save it for when I get back, that I would like to see in person." Her tone had lightened to teasing by now.

His lips took on his sexy smirk all on their own and his retort slid into that smoky seductive quality that made her spine tingle "Don't worry, I plan to have a roaring good time when next we meet. I've got some jungle fantasies that you would star in quite well."

She laughed, "No promises about wearing grass skirts or coconuts but I think I'm game."

"Time will seem a turtle rather than a hare until you return." Now he was waxing a bit melodramatic but it was fun and it felt good to laugh with her, to hear the sadness lift from her voice.

"Well, you know what they say, slow and steady wins the race."

"If you're the prize I'm willing to wait." He was imagining the moment already.

"I look forward to our reunion then." Her voice was a promise of good things to come. "Bye Simba, sweet dreams."

"They will be now Ace. See you soon."

She sat staring at her phone long after it had clicked off and then slowly rose from the couch and returned to her vigil at her mother's side.

When Lorelai woke it was Rory who was there curled next to her holding her hands when she awoke to the watery grey light of a new and decidedly less than brilliant day.

She rolled ever so slightly to take in the morning sky, gray and moody to match the state of her soul. She laid still for a long time thinking about words, Christopher's, her mother's, Rory's and finally Luke's and his were the ones that struck a resounding chord. He was right... actions spoke louder than any of those words. Christopher's drunken confessions, her hesitation, Luke's retreat, her mother's stony countenance in the face of her anger and Rory picking up the pieces, always picking up the pieces of her mother's shambles of a life. Actions, that's what it all came down to in the end, her actions. Rory deserved better, Luke deserved better, they deserved someone who could figure out what they wanted and fight for it without hesitation, without doubt. They might deserve someone better than her but she was the one that fate had dealt them and she was about to take some long overdue actions of her own.

She pulled her hands gently from her daughter's grasp and pushed herself up and off the bed in one fluid motion. There was not time for thought or pro/ con lists when love was on the line. This time she had to face the firing squad without blinking or fear that they would forever hound her with their questions.

She showered, letting the scalding water pour over her in a cleansing rush until she couldn't stand the heat any longer. She dressed in a hurry, for once without thought to the impact of her wardrobe and then she stilled. She sat on the edge of the bed where her only child still lay curled in the throes of sleep and she felt thankful, blessed even, and responsible. Her child was no longer a child but a woman in her own right but she still deserved someone she could believe in. Her hand followed the curve of the hair that matched her own, the line of the cheek that matched Christopher's and she knew where her first stop had to be. Where this whole messed up journey started.

Rory's eyes, so like her own, blinked open in sleepy confusion "Mom..." there was that tone again, the daughter playing mother to the mother "Are you okay mom?"

Lorelai soothed her with a slight smile "Yeah, kid, I'm okay, thanks to you. I just have some things I need to take care of. You sleep, I'll be back later, don't worry about me."

Rory's lids slid closed again with this reassurance and Lorelai felt a little pang at the memory of comfort; her baby wasn't so far from childhood after all.

Lorelai looked at the door in front of her and stamped her feet a bit to ward off the cold chill of the morning. The door was solid wood with a little glass half circle at the top and it was painted red, she supposed in some passing tip of the hat to that ancient science of Feng Shui that claimed some good fortune that was linked inexplicably to the color of one's front door. She took a deep draught from the paper cup in her right hand and shuffled her feet on the doormat that had a cheerful daisies upon it that proclaimed welcome to all who came upon it. She supposed there was some joke to be made about kicking up daisies but for once she was without a punch line and that realization was enough to bring her back around to the purpose of this visit. Lorelai Gilmore without a punch line was a woman on a mission. Taking a deep breath she did the thing she had come here to do and raised her fist to rap on the hard wood of the door.

It took four such raps and the rest of the cup of coffee to rouse the master of the house but at long last the door swung open to reveal him, a little worse for the previous evening, hair askew and wearing nothing but a flannel robe but in one piece across the breach.

He squinted at her as if perhaps he suspected an apparition but his brain finally kicked into gear as he wiped the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes. "Lorelai?"

"Christopher."

There was moment's pause as they considered one another, a habit born of breeding and inveterate survival instincts. Never show your hand until you're certain of victory. Even in this it was hard to break the habit of caution. Finally Lorelai broke the stillness thrusting a paper cup towards him with a little smile "A latte love?"

He gave her a perplexed look but understood the pun the minute he saw the side of the cup that proclaimed a similar motto. He took the offering and backed up a step to welcome her into his home. "I guess we need to talk."

She only nodded "Yeah." She wandered inside taking in again the taste and feminine touches of another woman. Strangely enough this time they didn't chafe, those reminders of another female, this time the only served to remind her of her own choices.

She looked at Christopher expectantly and he took the cue, waving with his coffee hand at the couch in the living room. "Gigi is still with her grandmother so we can talk in here."

"Great, good..." Lorelai preceded him into the room and then sat staring at the cup in her hands for a long moment as he took a seat across from her.

When the silence seemed to stretch ingrained behavior had him speaking "Look, Lorelai I owe you an apology..."

She cut him off with a hand " No, Chris, don't apologize. Let me say what I came here to say."

Despite this admonition her eyes dropped to the cardboard cup that she was rolling between her hands and it took her several minutes to continue. She looked at him but what she saw in her mind's eye was a daughter, a daughter who was falling in love, falling in love with a boy who could be Christopher had he had a few years to mature. She hoped for once that Rory was not like her, that she had not inherited her talent for bungled relationships or at least was smart enough to avoid them. Rory had been right about this one, about how inviting Christopher back into her life was bound to screw things up, and she hadn't listened. She hadn't wanted to hear the truth of that statement, the truth of her own weakness.

So much was changing in her life, with Rory, with Luke, starting her own business, falling in love. Maybe that selfish scared little girl part of her hadn't wanted to let go of one of the things in her life that had always been constant. The banter, the easy connection, despite their parting of ways those things had always come easy for her and Christopher. They shared a bond forged in first of common misery and then of common love, for Rory, for each other. It was hard to see sometimes why she had to choose to leave that behind. She knew what she had to say though, knew that the words that burned her throat and brought tears to the backs of her eyes couldn't be withheld any longer. She looked up at last, looked at the man that she had loved, the man she had made a child with and the man that she had shared so many unrealized dreams with and knew in heart that here was not where her future lay. She took a deep breath. Time to grow up.

When she did speak it was with a tone of wistful nostalgia that he hadn't expected "I sat for a while and watched Rory sleep this morning. I remember doing that when she was just a baby, sort of amazed and terrified all at the same time that she was mine. I was so young, a child myself and I didn't know what I wanted out of life then, not really, all I knew was that I didn't want the life that I grew up in, didn't want that for my daughter. I wanted her to have the choices and the freedom that I never had. I didn't have a clue what I was doing but somehow we got by, we made a life that wasn't my parent's life. For a long time that was enough for me. Then I started to dream. I dreamt at first that you shared that life with us, with Rory and me. It was like an Arthurian legend, and you were my Sir Lancelot. The brave knight come to rescues the princess from every day life, magic and fate and all that crazy stuff that people always wish happened to real people. A version of romance that really only exists in the pages of a Harlequin novel or in a heart that never aged past sixteen and still thinks of all the world as black and white with no gray area."

She looked up at him, at the face that she could picture in childhood and in adolescence and was just now starting to see in adulthood. "You and I, we were always good at black and white. Our parents, they were black as a pirate's heart, no doubt about it, we were the Will Turners of our time, struggling against the black pull of our blood and fighting for another reality. I never saw until Rory got older that it could be different, that there was a middle ground. How was I to know that the freedom of choice that I had struggled to give her would lead her right back to the world I ran from? Maybe if I had seen the gray then things would be different..." Her eyes met his but they were far away from him as she thought about the revelations that had come to her with age, with motherhood "... but then maybe not. I was never very good at the whole balance the teeter totter thing, I didn't believe you could have it both ways, coexist in harmony despite glaring differences. Rory is a peacemaker, I'm an insurgent, always have been. I practically had a rebel flag posted in my crib."

Christopher leaned across the space between couch and chair, the space specified by Marthas, both Post and Stewart and caught her hand as he met her eyes and age old regret spoke "You are not a middle of the ground person Lorelai. It's intrinsic to you to make the world your own and that's what makes you special. Most of us settle for the hand dealt to us, but you always knew what you wanted and you went after it. The thing I admired most about you is that you never believed that you could fail, there was never room in your philosophy for defeat, only for lessons learned. You stood on a lot of ledges that most of us would never dare to brave and you never showed a hint of fear, you jumped and somehow you never doubted that you could fly."

Lorelai was a little stunned by this proclamation so she played it off with a little humor, she had never been good at accepting praise "That's a very nice start for a Bette Midler song but you want to know the truth Christopher? I've failed a lot; I've disappointed myself more times than I could count. I'm afraid every day, afraid of failure, afraid that when I'm fifty I'll still be alone, kept company by the sad stories of old movie stars and empty Twinkie wrappers but most of all I'm afraid of love. It's the classic catch 22; I'm like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, forever torn between the fear of life without love and the fear of love itself, so afraid that I've spent my life running after the love that was always out of reach and ignoring what was right there in front of my face. I've always been too afraid of letting myself be vulnerable, handing my heart to someone else and giving them the power to crush me. Love has never been one of those things that came naturally to me. Infatuation I do well but every time it started to edge closer to that point of no return I panicked and I ran. Carpe diem I can do, I'm a master of living in the moment but when someone asks me to look at tomorrow the fear always wins. Love is the ledge that I've come to more than once and every time my courage fails me and I back away."

She had been speaking almost more to herself than to him but now here gaze zeroed in on his face "This thing with Luke is different. I sort of got pushed off the ledge when I wasn't even looking and by the time I realized what was happening I was dangling from a parachute floating a thousand feet above solid ground. It should have scared the hell out of me but suddenly, hanging there suspended, I realized that was exactly where I wanted to be. Tomorrow was there staring me in the face and it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I won't accept disappointment this time because it wouldn't just be my disappointment, it would be Rory's and Luke's as well."

She set down the coffee and rose from her seat and knelt in front of him grasping his hands and looking up into his face.

She raised a finger to his lips to shush him when he would have spoken "We will always have a connection, you and me and Rory, but I can't keep holding on to Camelot when there is something real in front of me. Masochist that I am, I still want to be happy. I've made my choice, I love Luke and I need you to let me go."

Her tone had turned beseeching and it caused his heart to ache " I need you to go back to the beginning and be my friend. We have lived our lives in emotional limbo because of choices we made a long time ago, choices that were made by children that no longer exist. It's time to let go of the child's dreams and find your own happiness, with Sherry or on your own. I've found mine and I see now what I have been missing. I want that for you too Christopher. I want you to be happy, truly, dancing in the streets, shout it from the rooftops happy. I don't want to settle for the Way We Were, I want the beat all the odds Pretty Woman ending." She gazed into his eyes as if trying by telepathic link if not by her words alone to convey the sincerity, the love behind her words and he could see in those deep ocean eyes that it was too late. Too late for them, too late for the love that he still held in his heart for this indefatigable woman. He was too late.

A single tear gathered at the corner of his eye and shimmered there as their eyes locked, hope in one and acceptance in the other. He clasped his hands tighter around hers and searched her eyes for even a hint of doubt, hoping in some small selfish corner of his heart that there was even a tiny chance for him. It wasn't there, the sapphire of those stunning eyes was more serene than he had ever seen it, resolute, certain, there would be no changing this action she took today. She was offering him a place in her world but that place would never again be the love of her life. He could be there as a friend, as a father or he could choose to walk away.

They sat that way for a long moment, a pivotal spot in their joined pathway where they would choose forever whether to diverge or walk in parallel. Finally he leaned forward, as she remained frozen his lips came to rest on her lips, just a soft parting brush and then they rested on her forehead and his breath was cold against her skin as he spoke "I love you Lorelai Gilmore and I curse the fact that I was always a day late and a dollar short in telling you that, in being that man that you could count on. I'll be the supportive friend and you can be Vivian and go get your prince."

She pulled away and looked up at him brushing the tear from his cheek with a gentle hand and then the matching tear from her own cheek. Her smile bloomed and he thought he had never seen something at once so beautiful and so heartbreaking. Like the sun from behind the clouds that smile lit her face and her eyes until they fairly shone and he felt bathed for that second in that radiance. Then she rose to her feet and leaned forward for one last quick tightening of her arms around him and her words shattered his heart "Thank you Christopher." Then she was turning, walking away from him, walking towards another man, another future, one without him in a starring role.

She sat in her car for a long moment waiting for regret to swoop in and weigh her down but it didn't come. Instead she felt a certain catharsis, a sense of accomplishment albeit it a bittersweet one. She felt good and she was ready for her next stop. She put the jeep in gear and headed for the place that had been her home in name only.


	44. Hooked on a Feeling

"Hooga Shocka, Hooga Hooga Hooga Hooga Shocka... I can't stop this feeling...deep inside of me...girl you just don't realize what you do to me..."

Logan was awakened from a particularly hot and humid version of that aforementioned jungle fantasy by the Blue Swede version of Hooked on a Feeling. It was the ring tone assigned to Rory's dorm room on his cell phone, an obnoxious situation that had started out as a joke one night when she had managed to get a hold of his cell phone and with a wicked smile that conjured images of evil pixies at play had taken rather nefarious delight in programming her number in with that particularly off the wall tune. Already it had become so ingrained a sound that it brought a smile to his face just to hear it...attached as it was to thoughts of her. Pavlov would have been proud.

He came up from the steamy depths of sleep with only a small protest and stretched to reach the phone that he had discarded on the table next to the bed without having to change position. He was awake but he wasn't all that ready to be up and about quite yet, he was rather hoping to slip back in to that tropical paradise in his mind. He flipped open the phone and all but purred into the phone in a sleep-laced voice "Hey sweet thing, couldn't survive another minute without talking to me huh?"

It didn't occur to him until the words had left his mouth that it was odd that she would be calling from her dorm given that only hours earlier she had been talking about staying with her mom until tomorrow.

The laughing voice on the other end had him sitting up in bed with a start "I always suspected that you had a thing for me. I hate to break it to you Logan, but I don't bat for the boy boy team... I'm strictly a ladies man. Hope you can go one living after this crushing blow."

Logan took the phone away from his ear and glanced down at the caller id sure enough it read Ace. He was suddenly feeling very alert, that slightly slurred voice like a bucket of ice water in the face "Finn? What the hell are you doing calling me from Rory's room?"

Finn's voice went sly and teasing, "You mean besides peeking in her underwear drawer? I've got to say my friend you might be on to something with this whole girl next-door thing. Who knew cute sweet little Woodward would be into leopard print satin..." he whistled into the phone "And red silk...yowza! I gotta get me one of these good girls they are going to be the hot new accessory for the season. A top hat, a humidor and one of those fine specimens and I'm golden. You always were a trendsetter mate."

"Finn." Logan's tone was edging towards menacing. "If you have any interest in self preservation you will remove your hand from my girlfriend's lingerie drawer immediately before I have to chop it off with a very dull ax."

Finn pondered a selection of inappropriate responses and went with wrongly accused innocence "I see how it is, one minute I'm a sweet thing and now that I've rejected your advances you are lashing out at me in misguided retaliation. I thought we had something special a friendship that could survive the trials of life but apparently Rory is our Yoko. So much for Hakuna Matata it appears our threesome is down to two."

"The threesome is down to you idiot. Colin is long gone under Stephanie's spell and I for one would rather stick with plausible deniability when it comes to my association with you."

"How right you are, I'm all alone, I am forced to hold down the bachelor fort all by my lonesome... I am a singer without a band, a man alone against the cold cold world. Batman without Robin, The Lone Ranger without Tonto. Ren without Stimpy...horror of horrors...I'm Gin without Tonic...what does that make me?" his voice had gone mournful.

"A Martini." Logan's voice was as dry as any drink by that name.

There was a pause, as Finn seemed to be considering this "Good point, one of my favorite of the tini family which reminds me, I think I'm in need of a little liquid refreshment right now." Logan heard cupboard doors opening and shutting as Finn muttered to himself "Wonder where they keep the hooch in this joint...what kind of luxury suite doesn't have a minibar?" There was a pause as if Finn had only just remembered that he was holding a phone to his ear "So...did you call me for a reason Huntzberger?"

Logan felt his teeth clenching and thought it was a close thing that he didn't outright scream "Finn...you called me, from Rory's room I might add which you still have not explained."

Finn seemed to be processing this information and his tone came back a little amazed "What do you know. I think you're right. Care to refresh my memory as to the direction of the conversation? I think I missed the turn and got onto a tangent somehow or other."

"Are you still drunk?" Logan's tone had turned accusing.

"That is possibly the most ridiculous question I've heard in a long time. Who do you think you're talking to, Betty Ford? Of course I'm drunk...it's the only decent way to see ten a.m. without going stark raving mad." Finn's voice was happy go lucky and unmistakably slurred this time.

"Too late...I think you hit stark and raving about a decade ago. Now listen carefully Finn I am going to repeat this one more time nicely and then I'm going to come over there and wring your neck if you don't just spit out a straight answer." Logan was beginning to really fear the reason for this call.

"Geez, you're testy when your Ace isn't around to pilot the plane."

Logan cut into the remark getting right to the point "Did you break in to Rory's room?"

The tone was all outraged affront "Of course not, I never break in to rooms when I can use a perfectly good key and waltz right in the front door. I'm not really the cat burglar type, that's more your style."

"How did you get a key?" he sort of hated to know the answer but asked it anyway.

"My new elf consort happened to have one, quite a stroke of luck actually."

Logan rolled his eyes despite his lack of an audience; apparently another notch had been made on Finn's rather lengthy tally of conquests. At this point one couldn't really even call it a bed post since it was more like a hundred foot tall totem pole probably with carvings of the gods in what ever alternate universe Finn existed in. "Okay, so now the million dollar question. I'll use small words so you are sure to understand. What are you doing there now?"

Finn's voice turned a little sulky "You know I have half a mind not to show it to you now that you are being such a party pooper."

Logan almost didn't dare to ask the next question "Show me what exactly?"

"My masterpiece..." Logan heard a female voice in the background and then Finn amended his statement "Right love, sorry, OUR masterpiece."

Logan closed his eyes and was quite certain that he was going to rue the moment that he answered the phone this morning "Could you be more specific about the nature of this...masterpiece?"

"It's the brilliant, breathtaking, a picture is worth a thousand words kind. The elf thinks might very well be the next Rembrandt." His voice held cheerful pride and Logan shivered in apprehension. "I think it's some of my best work. Nothing like a little revenge served cold to inspire my muse."

"Tell me this does not involve paint. Finn what did you do?" playing in his mind was a steady progression of past Finn transgressions that made him shudder just to recall and he had the feeling that Rory wasn't going to be all that pleased when she heard about this latest caper and it's location in the place she called home.

"Words would never do my art justice. You'll just have to see it for yourself. There is a price for admittance though, my brilliance cannot be viewed for free, bring coffee or booze...or both for that matter. Ta ta for now old chum." There was a click and Logan stared at the phone for a long moment before he lowered his forehead to his hands. There were days that he really regretted that meeting in the sand box when he was six and this was one of those Sliding Doors moments that was shaping up to be just such an instance. He sighed and dragged himself out of bed preparing to face the music and find out just what sort of mischief his nefarious friend had gotten himself into this time.

The elf was the one who opened the door and she smiled in a happy go lucky manner that had him suspecting that she was still under the influence of either copious quantities of alcohol or Finn's particular brand of screwball genius. Either way it didn't bode well for the sanctity of Rory's suite. He stepped into the room and surveyed the scene, so far everything in the common room looked fairly normal or at least as close as he could tell based on his previous recollections. The furniture was still in it's original place, nothing was dyed fluorescent orange or covered in shag carpet which had been a particularly gruesome result of Finn's self proclaimed Austin Powers phase.

He heard a rather bawdy rendition of "Oh What a Night" coming from one of the bedrooms and initially assumed it was from Rory's room. He reversed his footsteps with something akin to dread when he realized that it was in fact coming from the bedroom that he knew to Paris. He cringed as he pushed the door open to reveal the artiste himself in front of what was indeed a masterpiece. He closed his eyes in submission to the horror of the moment and to blot out the glaring oddity on the far wall then opened them again with a little sigh.

There was nothing to do but gape at it for a good minute while he regained the power of speech. It sort of deserved a good gaping anyway. Finally he snapped his jaw shut with an audible snap that finally got the infamous artist's attention. "Jesus Finn couldn't you just go on an acid trip like every other normal misunderstood artist?"

Finn who appeared to be mostly painted purple spun with a merry step and waved an expansive hand at his "art". "What do you think of my humble work dear friend?"

"I think that someday when they are doing the A & E version of your life story this will be the moment that they sadly recount as THE moment that led to your demise. Something tells me that when Paris gets a hold of you there will be hell to pay and yours will be the soul she wants it stripped from. I'm not sure that much will be left but I promise you a lovely funeral with what remains after her hell hounds are finished with you. Its the least I can do as a friend."

Finn waved an eloquent hand "Oh posh...the formidable Miss Gellar may seem the love child of Hitler and Marie Antoinette with all the 'off with their heads' and 'extermination of the masses' stuff but at heart she's a girl and no girl has ever managed to stay angry with Finn Morrison once the charm is on, it's a physiologic impossibility. Give me ten minutes and I'll have her eating right out of my hand. You've got nothing to worry about."

"You mean eating off your hand right? You are claiming that you are going to be able to charm the woman who probably gave Lorena Bobbitt her inspiration out of noticing that you painted her as a giant fire breathing Barney on her bedroom wall?" Logan's tone was completely incredulous.

"Precisely... you doubt me?" Finn looked shocked at this betrayal.

"I doubt you will live to see the end of this day." Logan was a little concerned that Finn truly had jumped off the deep end this time.

"Doubt is such a negative emotion. I prefer to err on the side of optimism."

"Okay...I'll be sure to have that put on your tombstone. Right next to the disclaimer that says lost due to calamitous stupidity...moral of the story don't let Finn's out without supervision." He looked up at the painting again and shook his head this time Finn had even topped his own record for reckless inanity. "If Paris goes to trial for your murder I think I'll be forced to be a witness for the defense."

"Traitor." Finn turned and stuck his nose in the air and marched towards the door somehow managing an exceedingly haughty exit despite the fact that was walking a far form straight line.

Logan called after him "Hey I'm not taking the fall for this one...loyalty only goes so far." He pulled out his cell phone and weighed his options before he resolutely dialed and then waited with bated breath as the phone rang.

Rory was awakened by the ringing of her cell phone on the night table next to the bed. Eyes still closed she flung an arm in the direction of the table but hit only air. It took a few seconds of squinted eye reconnaissance for her to recall that she wasn't in her bed in her dorm room, she was at home, in Stars Hollow and in her mom's bed where she had fallen asleep last night after Lorelai had cried herself to sleep in misery over the situation with Luke. The entire night came back to her in a rush of images and garbled emotions and then a drowsy half memory surfaced of her mom looking drawn but resolved sometime earlier this morning.

She sat bolt upright and grabbed the phone quickly worried that it was her mom who appeared to still be missing from the household. She flipped it open as she pushed the tangled hair from her face "Hello."

She was more than a little surprised at the voice that replied "So, how much do you love me?"

Definitely not the question that she had been prepared for "I...um...Logan?"

There was a laugh on the other end of the phone while she tried to get her brain revved up to speed and she kicked her self for the completely idiotic answer.

"It was a figure of speech Ace, no need to panic." She could hear the teasing lilt in his tone.

She regrouped "I wasn't panicked, I just didn't expect it to be you."

"Oh, so now I'm just one in the line of besotted suitors?" He was smiling to himself as she fumbled and he was certain that his call must have woken her from a dead sleep.

"No...No, I thought you were my mom."

"Oh, even better, now I'm your mother, not the most flattering thing you've ever called me although I do think it's a sight better than Beelzebub."

"I think you earned that one fair and square if I remember correctly. Did you just call to torment me Jerry?"

"Jerry? As in Seinfeld, king of comedy?" he was a little perplexed at that one.

"As in mouse...tormentor of the beleaguered Tom." Her tone implied that she was pleased that she had stumped him.

"Enough with the flattery Ace, first your mother and now a rodent, my ego will be uncontrollable."

She rolled her eyes out of habit and could all but picture the smirk that was probably gracing his lips "Did you call me for a reason?"

"You mean other than to wish you a good morning?"

"That's sweet." Her tone had him feeling a little guilty.

He looked at the wall in front of him again and cringed a little before going with honesty as the best policy "I'd like to say it's altruistic and completely without ulterior motives but actually I'm hoping to rack up some brownie points that will counteract my friendship with Finn."

Rory raised an eyebrow even though she knew he couldn't see it and her tone went a little suspicious "What exactly did he do that requires this payment? Something worse than singing Little Shop of Horrors at my grandparent's wedding?"

He considered best how to tell the story of Finn's latest misadventure "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"

"There is bad news?"

He wasn't certain how that part might play out "Uh...maybe...depends on your definitions I guess."

"I'm not liking the sound of this." Now her tone definitely implied dire consequences if he didn't spill the details.

"I can't keep up with that speedy intellect of yours." He joked mostly to stall the inevitable a he considered the beast.

"Okay tell me the bad news." She sounded a bit like she was preparing for sentencing.

"A glass half empty kind of gal huh?"

"Just spill Huntzberger so I can decide if I have to go into hiding or transfer to Harvard." She was getting a tad worried at this stalling...how bad could it really be?

"Okay bad news first, Finn turned the elf." He was sticking to the short and sweet version of events.

"Turned her into what?"

"A artist." That was the simplest definition after all.

"Okay you're going to have to give me a few more hints...an adjective maybe, an adverb even."

He sighed; apparently she wasn't going to let him get away with the simplest version of events. "Maybe I should start from the beginning."

"A very good place to start." Her tone was dry and implacable.

"I woke up this morning to a call from you. Only it wasn't really you it was Finn...in your room...with the elf."

"So you are calling to tell me that they snuck into my room? What is it with you people and breaking in to people's rooms?" Rory was sounding a bit on the irritated side.

"Uh well actually they didn't break in, Paris gave Alice a key in case she wasn't here when we got back." That part at least was not blame that lay at his feet.

"Oh. So what are you calling me about then and what does it have to do with art?" Rory was completely perplexed by this point and a little worried; it wasn't like Logan to be so cryptic.

Logan sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face as he took a gulp from the coffee cup in his hand. "Well, it seems that besides their love affair with Broadway Finn and the elf share a certain passion for the medium of paint."

"Finn paints?" Rory's tone was surprised.

"A regular Picasso... " Logan pondered as he looked at Finn's latest masterpiece. "Actually scratch that, I'm thinking the bastard child of Salvador Dali and Hanna Barbera would be a better description."

Her tone was a bit admiring, it never ceased to amaze her the strange talents that hid in the shell of the womanizing party animal named Finn "That Finn is a regular wunderkind."

"He's a phenomenon that's for sure, whether a marvel or a freak of nature ... well, the jury's still out on that one." His tone was sarcastic.

Rory was still confused, obviously without the visual to put together the pieces of this strange tale "Okay...I'm still not seeing how this is bad news. I have the feeling I'm missing the bigger picture here."

Logan chuckled slightly "Oh don't worry Ace, you'll get to see the big picture soon enough."

"Cut the cute talking in code and give it to me straight Huntzberger. I haven't had coffee yet and I'm getting irritable." She was feeling a bit on the waspish side with all the less than clear remarks.

"My summarization of the situation is that at some point after our return last night fueled most likely by great quantities of alcohol and a nasty little devil called revenge, Finn had a brainstorm. Now I've personally witnessed a few Finn brainstorms and I'm not talking about a little squall with a brief spell of rain, I'm talking class five storm, put up the barricades and nail your windows shut kind of natural disaster. They should have an entire warning system just for Finn and his brainstorms. The regrettable circumstances were compounded when this brainstorm hit and somehow or another Finn was able to locate painting supplies and a give the elf a worthy demonstration of his professed skill."

Rory pondered still not completely understanding the situation "Okay, so he painted her a picture? That seems sort of sweet."

"Uh, not a picture so much as a wall... Finn enjoys a large canvas for his art." Logan sounded a bit reluctant to provide this information.

"A wall..." she parroted trying to make sense of what Logan seemed to be withholding, then an inkling of suspicion crept into her brain "Whose wall?"

There was a cough and a mumbled reply that she couldn't make out "What? I can't understand you?"

"Yours... well actually Paris' to be exact." This time he spit it out in a rush.

There was a second of dead silence over the phone line and that a statement that came out half a question and begged him to correct her "He painted Paris' wall?" her tone was still in the realm of the disbelieving praying that this was some sort of practical joke.

" Yes." The tone was of cringing.

Rory covered her face "Oh my god...what did he paint? No...wait, I don't think I want to know."

Logan's voice sounded slightly relieved "Probably for the best. Don't worry; I'll take care of it. I know some very good maintenance men at Yale...believe it or not this isn't the first time that Finn has taken to the brush."

Rory groaned but then figured she had better know how bad the holocaust was going to be "No, I should know...just tell me, do it quick, it'll hurt less that way."

Logan took in the glory that was Finn's art. It was painted on the far wall and was sure not to be missed even by an eighty-five year-old woman with cataracts. It was eight feet tall, appeared to be of the bastard child of a fire breathing dragon, a Cyclops and a cartoon dinosaur and was bright purple with one horn in the center of its head. On closer exploration it became obvious that it was being slain by a rather glorified sword wielding likeness of Finn complete with a feather topped hat a la Robin Hood Men in Tights. It was sort of breathtaking and what it lacked in artistic brilliance it certainly made up for in sheer ludicrous stupidity. It was also pretty much a signed death warrant with Finn's name on it.

"I'm not sure I can even describe it adequately. It has one eye and one horn and it's purple and has wings...I think it's supposed to be a dragon or a dinosaur or..." he cocked his head as he considered

Rory interjected with an almost helpless laugh "A flying purple people eater."

"What?" Logan hadn't quite caught on.

Now Rory was laughing so hard she could hardly talk "Finn made Paris a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater...you know, like the song."

Logan's eyes widened as it clicked.

Rory took a breath in an attempt to stop laughing "Okay...this shouldn't be funny. I'm certain it won't be funny when I have to sleep on your couch because Paris has burned down the room with Finn in it... but somehow right now this is one of the more hilarious things I've heard...ever. A huge flying purple people eater painted on a wall... that's a first for me even after living with Lorelai Gilmore for the first twenty some odd years of my life."

"So you're not angry?" Logan's voice spoke of overt shock.

Rory sobered after a last chuckle "Oh I'm furious and if Paris doesn't eviscerate Finn before I get back I might just have to do a little tarring and feathering myself but unless you handed him the key and the paint brush which I'm assuming you were smart enough not to do it's not your fault... I've come to realize that Finn is a force of nature, not even the almighty Logan Huntzberger can control a force of nature."

Logan gave a loud sigh of relief and then a little chuckle "I feel as if I've just been spared the hangman's noose."

"Don't breath easy just yet, it'll still cost you." Her voice was teasing.

"I promise lots of coffee and mental anguish." Logan was smiling now.

"That's a good start...plus I really think you should get a hold of a crack team of those maintenance men of yours and try to cover up that thing before Paris gets back. Paris is probably at Doyle's or at the Daily News and if I were you I'd find a way to stall her because if she finds Finn before you fix this you'll be painting over blood stains as well."

Logan pondered "I've got it, I'll send Alice over there to take them out to breakfast or lunch or something."

Rory's tone was approving "See now there is the evil mastermind Logan that I know. Oh, and one more thing. Once it's painted I would make yourself scarce if I were you. Paris isn't known for being merciful and she's very big on condemnation of accomplices."

"I'll go buy my sunglasses and a wig post haste." He was back to teasing.

"Work on the walk too, that swagger of yours is sort of unmistakable."

His tone was insulted "Swagger? I do not swagger. I walk with confidence."

"Okay Tony Manero what ever you say. Just try to stay alive until I get back." The tone was droll.

"I'm going to ignore the impugning of what many of my female admirers have called my 'sexy strut' and move on to kinder subjects." He gave a little mock huff.

"By the way...what was the good news?" Rory questioned.

"Paris may never speak to you again."

There was a considering pause "There is that. Maybe this will turn out to be a win-win situation after all. Make sure that paint job is a good one and I may just let you forget this moment sometime in the next decade."

Logan smiled and imagined the teasing light that was no doubt shining in her eyes "Speaking of which...are you coming back sometime in the next decade or am I all alone in my running from justice?"

"I'm not sure we were speaking of which but probably tomorrow. I figured I'd hang out with my mom today, you know do the whole Gilmore girl wallow ritual thing. It's not nearly as therapeutic with only one person. It's nice to know that you miss me though...that gets you a few bonus points and you need all you can get right now."

"What's not to miss... colorful insults, defamation of my character, threats of torture..." he paused with a laugh but then sobered thinking of her earlier words and unfinished business "You know Ace, you're always welcome to join me in my secret hide out even if yours isn't reduced to ashes."

"Oh really? Is it sort of like the Bat cave?"

"The Bat cave with an espresso machine. I bet we can even come up with a better place for you to crash than the couch. You know I do have this newfangled thing called a bed." His voice had gone a little sexy and suggestive.

"Is that a proposition Huntzberger?" she knew what it was but enjoyed this little banter they had going

"It's an offer Ace." There was no doubt as to the meaning of that sentence.

There was a short pause and her voice was a little breathy when she replied, "Well maybe I'll take you up on it. See you tomorrow Logan."

Logan looked at the phone for a second with a huge grin on his face and then turned to slap Finn on the shoulder "You know Finley you might just be good luck after all."

The grey stone facade was as cold and looming as it had seemed in her childhood, somehow to this day though she had lived and grown in this house she had never truly called it home.

In childhood she had imagined herself the sleeping beauty trapped in the tower waiting for her Prince Charming to rescue her. Then life had intervened and she had figured out that the only person who was going to rescue her from anything was herself. Even then it had been about escape, about leaving behind this world of wealth and privilege and expectations that had always seemed to her like the bars of a prison. She loved her parents in her own way but she had resigned herself to never seeing life through their eyes, to the knowledge that they would never see it through hers. It still stung a little that Rory fit here so well. That she fit with them so well. It was something that a tiny part of her had always yearned for, to just once have them accept her, love her, be proud of her for who she was rather than what they wanted her to be. It hadn't happened, and now she wasn't certain it ever could. For a while there had been peace in the land, a truce of sorts, there had been parlays on both sides, overtures of mutual acceptance, attempts at bridge building. They hadn't quite had friendship but there had been something close. This had shattered whatever fragile link there had been. This was a crossroads she was at in her own life and in her relationship with the people who were her parents. She wished she knew if what she was doing was right, but it was the only way she knew to protect what was hers, her life and the people that she loved.

She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and readied for a show down. The door swung open to reveal another nameless face in the endless string of maids that the misfortune to be in the employ of Emily Gilmore. This one was small and blonde and looked more than a little terrified... must be new, Lorelai wondered idly if she would make it through the day. "Hi, I'm Lorelai. I'm wondering if Mr. Gilmore is in?"

The maid's voice was even timorous of that mousy quality that didn't bode well for her longevity in the household. "Yes Miss, Mr. Gilmore is in his study, would you like me to take your coat?"

Lorelai pondered for an instant but then decided on a quick get away plan "No, thank you, I won't be staying long...best to keep it in case I need to abort the mission quickly. If I come running through yelling Mayday, Mayday don't panic."

She tried for a friendly smile and a little laugh but only a nervous twitter met it so she subsided "I'll just show myself in. Thank you." She brushed past the young woman and made a beeline for her father's study, if memory served he should be in the midst of his Sunday morning routine perusing the newspaper and drinking coffee and hopefully her mother would not yet be back from her afternoon tea at the Ladies club.

She managed to make it to the study door with no Emily sightings and knocked lightly. She waited a moment before hearing a commanding male voice "You may enter."

She opened the door and slipped inside taking in the scene that she remembered so clearly from her youth, the big mahogany desk, the rich smell of leather and books and the slightly woody aroma of cigars and her father ensconced in the middle of this kingdom of his as much a part of the decor as the paintings and the silver candlesticks. She had always secretly loved this room, and used to sneak in here when she was a very young and could barely lift the heavy tomes. She would gaze at all those words dreaming about the day that she could discuss the worlds they described with her father, the man who she adored. Of course that had been before things had gone so terribly wrong between them, before she had disappointed him and he dismissed her as less than worthy of his attention.

"Miriam would you bring me another of coffee please. I believe this is shaping up to be a two cup morning." he spoke absently with his eyes still riveted to the words in the paper open before him.

The words snapped Lorelai out of her reminiscence and back to the present, to a man with whom she had a strained, monosyllabic relationship at best and she almost regretted the impulse that had brought her here. She was within a heartbeat of turning around and walking back the way she came when his eyes raised towards hers and registered shock. "Lorelai?"

Obviously she had been the last person that he had expected to see darken his door today or probably any day for that matter. There was a pause and then he set his paper down his brow furrowing as he took in her appearance, she looked exhausted, pale and was dressed in something drab that was far from her usual flamboyant style. He wasn't sure what to say so he fell back on old habits "Your mother is still at her tea but you are welcome to wait if you came to talk to her."

She took a step further into the room and closed the door with great care before facing him again "Actually dad, I came to see you."

"Oh." There wasn't much else to say. He could hardly tell her that he was relieved that she was here, that he had stayed awake late into the night comforting her mother and hoping against hope that this most recent schism wouldn't be the last time that he saw his only daughter. It was against his nature to let these things play over his features or fall from his lips, it wasn't the way things were done in his world. "Well, sit down then."

"Thank you." She was uncharacteristically succinct and took a seat without further comment.

They sat there for a moment staring at one another across the expanse of dark gleaming wood and Richard thought of how much his daughter had grown, how distant and cool this woman who sat across from him was and it saddened him that they had drifted so far, but he was at a loss for how to bring them all back. He cleared his throat at last and clasped his hands together on the desk in front of him "So, Lorelai, what can I do for you? I assume you are here about the mess last night."

She shouldn't have been surprised at the clipped, business like tone but it still stung a little. For a moment she was that little girl who had disappointed her father and wanted to cry, just wanted to run to him and have him hug her and tell her that everything would be okay, that he still loved her but that was a relationship that existed only in the figments of her imagination. "Yes, dad, I am."

"Well I really don't think it is appropriate for you to be discussing this with me, this is between you and your mother."

She held her tongue for the two seconds it took for her to control the nasty remark that sat waiting on it's tip, it would do nothing but worsen the situation to spill her anger in this venue. "No dad, that's where you are wrong. Even though you try to be impartial and I believe you had nothing to do with mom's actions, this affects you as well and I'm here to offer an olive branch, to ask for a reprieve."

"I'm not sure I understand, you want my forgiveness?"

"Not forgiveness no." She paused trying to put her thoughts into the correct words "Silent support I guess."

"You want me to support you against your mother?" now his tone was edging towards disbelieving anger.

Lorelai's eyes widened as she realized that he had misinterpreted her words, she hated this, hated the stilted communication between them that made every word become some twisted weapon they used against one another. This was important though so she pushed onward wishing that she could pace, could move, work out her frustration as she spoke but she sat rock still in the chair and only her twitching heel gave away her irritation "No, dad, I'm sorry, I'm not being clear, this isn't about me."

He watched as she tightly clasped the purse in her lap. "Explain please."

"This is about Rory."

"Rory?"

"Yes, I can't pretend that what happened didn't happen, that's not the way I am built and my continued presence at Friday night dinners would only make them hellish for all of us but Rory loves you and she loves mom and she loves this idea of us being a family as impossible as it might be. I don't' want her to lose that connection to you just because mom and I had a falling out and I don't want you and mom to gang up on her about me not being here on Friday nights. You can help her, you can make sure she still feels welcome."

There was a little tightening in the region of his heart, something Lorelai probably never knew he had when those words fell from her lips in a flurry. His daughter was walking away again, that's what this was really about, they would be cut from her life as ruthlessly as they had been so many years ago when they had pushed her one step too far. Only this time she was here to plead for her own daughter, the one good thing that tied them to one another irrevocably as much as she might wish otherwise. There was no real way for him to fix this other than to hope that time somehow wore down the stubborn pride of two of the women that he loved most in this life and in the meantime he could protect the third of those women from as much harm as possible.

His tone was a bit harsher than intended in an attempt to cover inexplicable emotions "Rory is always welcome here and that won't change because of a tiff between you and your mother. I will make sure that won't change. You have my word on that."

She searched his eyes for a moment before she stood and her tone was formal "Thank you dad. I appreciate it and I won't forget this. Now I'll let you get back to your paper. I'm sorry to disturb you. I'll just see myself out."

She had her hand on the door when his voice stopped her "You never need to doubt that I'll take care of her Lorelai. Rory is important to your grandmother and to me."

She smiled slightly "Yeah, I know dad." Then she was slipping out and the door was closing behind her.

"And so are you Lorelai." His words fell into an empty room as he looked at the closed door. He only hoped that the tenuous structure they had built here could some day be a bridge.

Overall she would say although it would rank as one of her more productive days it still fell far short of the mark for one of the best. It felt good to have taken some action, to have set a torch to a few bridges and erected scaffolding for a few others but that niggling voice in the back of her head reminded her that she really hadn't solved the big looming problem. The one that was standing like an angry heckler in the corner of her nice happy, full of affirmations Stuart Smalley world.

That voice had her idling the jeep at the curb and looking in the window of Luke's. Watching as he poured coffee, buttered toast, heated muffins while he remained ignorant of her observation. It was the voice reminding her that this forward progress would be all for naught if she didn't find a way to convince that surly, opinionated, gruff, heart of gold diner man to give her a second chance.

She might claim to feel strong and self-sufficient but deep down she knew she was a liar. She felt alone and unhappy and it was magnified by the fact that the one man that she could always talk to about being alone and unhappy was the one man that she couldn't talk to because he was the reason that she was alone and unhappy. He was the one that she had always run to with the good, the bad and the ugly and now he was off limits until she figured out how to fix things between them. She dared not even think about what would happen to her if this were truly the end, if this thing was unfixable and she had used up the last of her get out of jail free cards. She couldn't imagine life without Luke more importantly she didn't want to imagine it. That was the thought that had her heart racing and her eyes locking on his face just as his eyes came up to met hers through the window. She pulled away and headed for home worn out and ready for a good mindless wallowing session.

Lorelai burst through the door to find Rory in the middle of the living room floor surrounded by piles of DVDs. Rory leapt up as soon as she came into view and came towards her with a worried look in her eyes "Are you okay, I was worried about you when you were gone so long. Where did you go, you didn't have another fight with Luke did you?"

Rory was patting her on the back and Lorelai almost laughed at the worried harangue "Hey, relax, I'm fine. I just had some things I needed to do, you know people to see, places to go and no I did not have another fight with Luke, you would be proud of me, I managed to stay away from him the whole day, had a few good gun battles with some other folks but Luke is safe and sound in his diner."

Rory narrowed her eyes "Okay, so where did you go and who are these people you had to see?"

Lorelai slung an arm over her daughters shoulder "I've had a long day and if you want to play Geraldo I definitely need some junk food, woman can not live on coffee alone."

Rory gave her a shocked look "Since when?"

"Since I passed ravenous half an hour ago and considered eating Pad Thai from Al's as a reasonable solution."

"Oh...that does call for emergency intervention."

"Pop tarts and pickles to the rescue."

Rory made a face "You know that probably sounds really disgusting to the untrained ear."

Lorelai shook her head sadly "Most people have no idea the wonders they are missing, right up there with peanut butter and fluff sandwiches with potato chips."

"Sweet and nutty with just the right amount of crunch. A truly perfect combination that could only be created in some freakish lab experiment gone wrong or in the Gilmore kitchen." Rory smiled as she opened the package of pop tarts.

They were through the first box when Rory looked over at Lorelai "So...you want to talk?"

"Not yet... give it time, misery is like a fine wine, it gets mellower with age. I'm thinking right now I need a few hours of mellowing at the least." Lorelai took a contemplative bite of dill pickle.

Rory jumped up exuberantly "Good. I was sort of hoping you would say that because I have a back up plan." She pulled out four stacks of DVDs and neatly arranged them on the coffee table.

Lorelai shook her head in understanding "You haven't been color coding the movies by genre again have you? Last time you did that it took me three days and a metal detector to figure out where you had put the Top Gun DVD."

Rory cocked her head to one side "What was the metal detector for?"

"Well I was also looking for my aviator sun glasses which happened to be in the Top Gun box, of course." Lorelai's tone was very matter of fact.

"Why were your sunglasses in a DVD box?"

"One can not watch Top Gun with out aviator sunglasses, what would Maverick say?"

Rory rolled her eyes "Heaven knows."

"I know." Lorelai pointed at her and pretended that the remote was a microphone "You've lost that loving feeling, oh oh, that loving feeling."

"Glad you're feeling better already."

"It's the pop tarts and pickles...magical combination, I bet if they studied them for science they could prove that the elevate some sort of euphoria producing brain chemicals... it's like drugs but better because they had fake strawberry filling." She looked down at the stacks of DVDs "Okay Felix care to tell me about this system of yours?"

Rory smiled "Well...I figured we might need a bit of entertainment, good mocking material, good sobbing material so I picked a few selections for different categories and you can choose what you want to watch." She started with the pile to the left "So here we have the classic love isn't always enough genre; Gone With the Wind, The Way We Were, Casablanca, etc."

"So basically the ones that leave you with your heart on the floor and big red puffy eyes that say I'm a pathetic sap and I don't care who knows it." Lorelai interjected with a nod.

"Exactly." Rory moved to the next stack "Then we've got the hopeful love conquers all classics Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia Story, When Harry Met Sally, Some Like It Hot."

"Sure, because any movie whose main female character is named Sugar Kane deserves to be lauded."

Rory continued, "Right, so there's also Roman Holiday, Pretty Woman, Taming of the Shrew...you get the drift."

"I'm not the Shrew am I?"

"Only in the best possible sense." She pointed to the next stack "Next we have the comedy classics that make you forget all about your worldly troubles and laugh until your side cramps and coffee comes out of your nose, we have The Court Jester..."

"Right...the pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle...words to live by."

"Strictly Ballroom, Blazing Saddles, Airplane, A Night at the Opera, Willy Wonka and the Odd Couple." She moved to the last stack "Lastly we have the movies that bring perspective."

"Perspective?"

"Good Morning, Vietnam, The Color Purple, you know the whole I may feel like my heart has been flayed from my chest but at least I don't have it as bad as those Jews in Schindler's List."

"So basically your average war, natural disaster or horrific accident movie. I've no doubt my life definitely looks better after reliving slavery, the reign of the Camer Rouge or the explosion of the Hindenburg. I've taught you well young Sky walker." She observed the stacks in front of her again "So basically I've got a film smorgasbord to choose from; the glass half empty group, the glass half full group, the chuck the glass and drink straight from the bottle group and the you're lucky you have a glass at all group. It's like group therapy with Freud, Sally Jesse and Roger Ebert all in one."

"Exactly what I was going for, a buffet of cinematic greatness." Rory plopped down on the couch looking pleased with her self.

Lorelai pondered the options with great seriousness "Okay...I say we mix it up, you know laugh, cry, mock, rinse and repeat kind of drill."

Rory smiled encouragingly "By the time we're finished your serotonin receptors won't know what direction is up."

Lorelai put a finger in the air to signify her strong agreement "Right you are...who needs Prozac when you've got Billy Wilder and Robin Williams and Mel Brooks dressed as an Indian Chief?" Lorelai plopped her feet on the coffee table and grabbed the first DVD on the pile handing it over to Rory "I think I picked a terrible day to stop sniffing glue..."

Rory laughed and grabbed the movie "Airplane! A classic. Definitely a good place to start our tour of the human psyche."

It was a good old fashioned Gilmore girl movie fest, they laughed, they cried, they threw M & Ms at the snotty rich girl who got dumped down the rotten egg slot in the Chocolate Factory, they screamed at Hubble when he left and took turns re-enacting the couch scene from An Affair to Remember. All in all it was a satisfyingly indulgent trip to self-pity Ville.

It was somewhere past late and heading full steam towards early when Lorelai finally switched off the movie and sat there in the suddenly darkened room staring down at the remote for a few seconds.

Rory who had been half dozing next to her came awake fully and stretched a little. "Ready for another one?"

Lorelai pursed her lips and considered but then shook her head slowly "Nah, I think I've burned out even my bottomless endurance for living vicariously."

There was a moment of silence. Rory cocked her head and looked at her mom who appeared to have something on her mind but decided not to push, she would tell her when she was ready. It was only a few moments before Lorelai blurted out her confession.

"I went to see Christopher." She glanced up sideways at Rory as if waiting for a reaction and then quickly back down at her hands. "I thought we needed to talk."

Rory was careful to contain her own reaction not wanting to pass judgment just yet. "So did you? Talk I mean?'

"Yeah." Silence fell as Lorelai fiddled with the buttons on the remote and finally Rory ventured a follow up question.

"What did you talk about?"

"I told him that I was in love with Luke."

Rory silently breathed a sigh of relief "Good, that's good."

"Is it?" Lorelai was looking at her searchingly now and Rory was a little surprised.

"Yeah. It is good. There was a long time that I used to want you and dad to get back together but then I finally realized that maybe you were better having your own lives. I know you love dad but you are so happy with Luke and that makes me happy too."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter "I'm sorry kid."

Rory was startled at this "Why?"

Lorelai looked at her sort of sadly "I should have done this years ago. It's been hard on you all these years to have this hope in the back of your mind that your dad and I would get back together that someday we could really be a family. I held on to that a long time after I knew the truth, that between us it just wasn't meant to happen. I guess I was just afraid to let go of that pretty dream I had of us as a family. I was afraid I would never find anything to replace it."

Rory reached out and stroked a hand down her mom's hair "It's okay mom, I know a little bit about trying to recapture the past. Nostalgia and fear can make you do stupid stuff sometimes."

There was a little laugh form Lorelai "That is gospel truth you speak my friend." She looked into those limpid blue eyes that trusted her, believed in her and wondered if she deserved that even now. "Thanks kid, for putting up with all of my screwed up relationships, for being so understanding, for picking up the pieces after your crazy mom. I'm lucky to have a great friend like you."

Rory shrugged now and grabbed her mom's hand "Hey, that's what best friends and family are for. We're lucky to have each other."

Lorelai felt herself getting close to that precipice of tearing up brought on by too much pent up emotion and tried to head it off swiping surreptitiously at a tear that had gathered in the corner of her eye "So... enough about me...lets talk about you, I want to know all about you and big Mac... things are going well?"

Rory laughed a little at her mom's transparent subject change but went along with it. "Yeah...I think so."

Rory didn't know it but her eyes had taken on that dreamy spellbound look that new love managed to cast on even the most hard boiled of characters. Lorelai saw it and smiled. "So, I take it from the rather unceremoniously interrupted interlude last night that things are getting... serious...intimate?"

Rory blushed crimson and she avoided eye contact "Uh... not yet, but maybe...I don't know."

Lorelai stopped her with a pitying look "This isn't an inquisition I promise. I just want you to be happy Hun. From what I can see Logan makes you happy."

"Yeah, he does." That answer was simple and it came easily. He did make her happy in a giddy floating kind of way that had her wishing for the absence of gravity for the foreseeable future.

Lorelai watched this flush of contentment sweep her daughter's features and felt a little pang; her little girl was growing up right before her eyes "You love him." It was a statement more than a question as Lorelai put a hand to her daughter's warm cheek.

Rory's eyes flew up to hers and were wide as saucers "I don't...I don't know, maybe, I'm not sure. I haven't decided yet." Those words fell into some place in her mind that seemed to click and a beautiful picture began to unfold in her mind. A dreamy sort of landscape that had her thinking about possibilities.

Lorelai chuckled a little "It's not a test kid. You'll figure it out when you are ready. I've learned that one the hard way... love isn't something you can dissect and study under a microscope. It doesn't follow the rules like the rest of the universe. Sometimes it just is even if you aren't ready for it to be or think it's not right. Sometimes your heart really is smarter than all those whirring neurons put together. Only advice I can give just don't wait too long to see what's in your heart. Sometimes if you hide from it for too long then by the time you see it it's too late." Her voice was a little sad as she considered her own lack of sight.

Rory looked at her with slightly dazed eyes as she thought about that. Thought about all the jumble of emotions that she had felt in the past weeks. She wasn't sure what the destination of love actually looked like but she had a feeling that she was well on her way towards it. Suddenly she wished that she could see Logan, could look into those warm chocolate eyes and pick up where they had left off before everything else had disintegrated around them. That had been one of those pinnacle moments of complete delirious euphoria and she wanted more than anything to see what came next.

After a long moment she looked back at Lorelai and saw the small knowing smile that curved her lips. Lorelai squeezed her hand "Go see him Hun."

Rory was surprised at this instruction "But what about you?"

"Mommy is a big girl, I can use the remote and the phone to order pizza all by myself, I did it for years before you figured out what the numbers were."

Rory wasn't quite done with procrastinating...it was one thing to dream about waking Logan up in the middle of the night to seduce him it was an entirely other thing to actually contemplate doing exactly that. "It's one thirty in the morning.'

"And your point would be?" Lorelai could see logical Rory trying to weasel her way out of this one.

"It's one thirty in the morning."

"Some of the best spontaneous moments in history have happened in the dregs of the night."

"Shouldn't I just get some sleep and see him tomorrow rested and refreshed?"

Lorelai gave her a skeptical look "Because if you go to bed now you are going to sleep like a baby without a care on your mind?"

"Well no..." Rory sighed she had her there.

"Exactly... don't doubt your heart babe...sometimes it's right." Lorelai gave her a little pat on the shoulder.

Rory's voice went a little edgy with worry "I'm not very good at spontaneity though, it usually goes badly."

"You just need more practice."

Rory hesitated thinking this was the perfect set up for some sort of disaster. She worried her teeth over her bottom lip but finally gave in. Her mom was right, she wasn't going to sleep a wink until she saw Logan again and if she wasn't going to miss out on all those precious hours of REM that time might as well be put to good use. "Okay...I'm going to do it."

Her voice still sounded a bit less than confident but Lorelai bounced up and down on the couch and clapped her hands together. "It's like a real life version of Faust working his magic on Marguerite."

Rory rolled her eyes at her silly mother "If I'm Faust does that make you Mephistopheles?"

Lorelai frowned in contemplation "Hmmm...good point, hadn't thought of that, okay lets go with the tried and true... you're Rachel to his Ross, Lady to his Tramp...you get the point."

"Just help me get my things okay."

Fifteen minutes later they were standing by the door surrounded by various bags. Lorelai glanced down at the duffel and the other assorted piles of stuff. "You sure you got everything? I mean I think the kitchen sink might fit in this bag if you really squished the other stuff."

Rory glared "Look Auntie Shrew I like to be prepared okay. There is nothing wrong a well planned spontaneous act."

"Except for the fact that it is an oxymoron. Don't over think, just relax and do what comes naturally."

"Okay." She leaned in and kissed her mom on the cheek. "Are you sure this is okay with you... me leaving?"

Lorelai hugged her and then backed away with a wave of the hand "Yeah...go...you're no use to me like this anyway."

Rory grinned "Thanks Mom. Wish me luck."

"May the force be with you my child." She was halfway out the door when Lorelai's voice stopped her "Oh, wait. You almost forgot the candles."

Rory took them from her hand and brandished them "Right, candles. Check."

"Forget the list and go get him kid."

Lorelai smiled as the door closed behind her daughter. She remembered what that young and heady love felt like and she only hoped that Rory got to enjoy the ride for as long as possible.


	45. A Thief in the Night

Logan luxuriated in the feel of warm skin next to his; soaked up the thrill of touching her, making her shiver with desire, shudder with need. He watched mesmerized as his hand trailed down the soft silky surface of her, traced the line of her cheek, her throat, down the curve of her waist and over her hip. Her lips parted as they moaned his name and he hovered over her a breath away from meeting her lips, his heart pounded in his ears and he whispered her name. "Rory."

Rory had come with a plan. She had in her possession an old bag of tricks; some talented accomplices and a few secret weapons that she only hoped would get her through the early maneuvers. Yet still she hesitated.

Most people had phobias of some kind she supposed, fear of the dark, fear of heights, fear of germs, fear of spiders or those monsters that you grew up half convinced lived in your closet...there was no rational accounting for ones fears... Rory Gilmore's fear had always been spontaneity. In Omnia Paratus, Carpe Diem, living in the moment, stopping to smell the roses; these ideas sounded alluring in the verse of Tennyson, the prose of Whitman, the eloquence of Austen and the inspirational desktop oration of Robin Williams but day to day she fell more in the seize tomorrow camp and preferred to leave the roses and the moments to people like her mother who were better suited by nature to following the whim of free-spirited impulse and the caprice of the poets. She was of a more cautious breed, she liked to process information, study all the angles, formulate a plan, prepare for every eventuality, run scenarios and then re-run them just to be sure she hadn't missed some critical gap in her reasoning.

That brought her round smartly to the current dilemma, the virtual impasse she stood at with a do or die mission. The problem lay before her quite literally... Logan Huntzberger and planning seemed to be mutually exclusive concepts, reason and love mortal enemies and somehow despite all her better instincts she was standing beside his bed in the dark at two thirty in the morning and even though her lucid analytical side was screaming and her heart was lodged in her throat she couldn't have moved from the spot if her life depended on it. She stood there stone still for a long moment sucking in deep calming breaths and watching him in the faint moonlight that managed to creep in stealthy tendrils through the curtains and spilled in luminous drops across the dark bed outlining the form that lay there in slumber. With all the color sapped from the room by the silvery sliver of light she felt for a moment that she was playing out a scene in one of those black and white movies from the 30's where all the images appeared so crisp and stark defined by the absence of lifelike color, a play of shadows and light, the black abyss of the room broken only by the tableau in the center of the room, the pale skin ghostly white against the ebony of the sheets.

She was pulled from her odd train of thought when Logan shifted in his sleep and his head turned towards her so that his face was fully illuminated in the faint light. She sucked in a breath in reaction. He was beautiful, this boy that had some how crept into her very soul and pushed her out on this limb that now creaked under her unfamiliar weight. It helped that his features seemed painted by the hands of angels into the perfect cherubic comeliness but it wasn't that portrait that had sucked her in, pulled her under, left her grasping for anything that would return some stability to her now topsy turvy world it was what hid behind that sexy smirk and those eyes that dared her to jump with every wicked glint. It was the spirit that had drawn her like a lodestone to metal, the spirit of a boy who was much more than that pretty face and that influential name. So much more than even he realized. He wasn't perfect but he was the one she wanted.

She was nervous though, she wanted to be here, to be with him but there was a part of her that was still scared of standing out on this limb all alone so she stood still, waited for some sign that she could not fathom.

He stirred and she was riveted breath caught in her lungs as she watched his eyelids flutter and then he whispered a name. Her name. The sound of it mumbled from the throes of oblivion like a supplication flowed through her in a warm thrill of pleasure that soothed her anxious heart like a balm, stilled the frenetic plan B making of her fatalistic mind and left her certain of her path.

She bent slowly to the bag at her feet and quietly extracted what she was looking for, she took one last breath and then swiftly struck the match and held it to the wick until it sputtered to life and burned bright dispelling the darkness like a magicians incantation. Restoring the light and movement to the silent screen until the room seemed awash in color, the golden light softening the harsh austere tones to midnight blues and burnished gold, the gutter of the flame melting the sharp edges and angles until life seemed to take shape in the rise and fall of rhythmic breathing.

Logan hovered there a hairsbreadth from the dream maiden that beckoned only to be pulled back from that brink at the last second. A disconcerting sound intruded on his focus at just that critical moment in the play and drew his attention from those trembling lips. He wasn't sure how his mind made the connection but he recognized the distinctive snick and spark of a match striking, caught a whiff of acrid phosphorous that burned his nostrils in a distinctly realistic manner and a flare of light that painted red toned pictures on the back of his eyelids.

He surfaced towards reality slowly, or at least he thought he did and his eyes fluttered open with her name still a half spoken prayer on his tongue.

His eyes traveled the space around him looking for the source of the distraction, the shape that didn't fit in the familiar shadowed landscape of his bedroom. The he saw it, a figure just in the line of his sleep dimmed vision but shrouded in moon bright dark, illuminated in silhouette by the flicker of candlelight that seemed to be emanating from a glowing number nine. Wait...a number nine? That was a strange subliminal twist to be sure and caused a bit of a mental loop.

He had nearly reached the conclusion that he was still in fact fast asleep in the slumberous realm of Elysium when the figure leaned in towards him. Her face was suddenly lit in clear relief inches from his face and he registered the curve of her lips and the twinkle of the candlelight in those deep blue eyes a spare second before she spoke.

"Oh, you're awake."

He wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, wasn't sure quite yet whether she was really here or just a figment of his overly obsessed brain. Her breath felt real enough where it softly brushed his cheek as her blue eyes watched him. Her scent tingling in his nose seemed too tangible to be merely a replication from his subconscious memory banks. The satin of her skin felt solid enough when one of his hands rose of it's own accord to stroke itself down her cheek but his brain hadn't quite accepted her presence here as reality.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked it in that dazed soporific tone that implied he was trapped with one foot still in dreamland and didn't quite trust his senses to transmit truth.

"No." the answer was soft and simple. The glowing nine moved to the bedside table where that ethereal light flickered and wavered and made her seem all the more a quixotic hallucination summoned by unmitigated yearning, pure desire and that touch of insanity that came from too many restless dream dogged nights.

Her weight coming down on the bed next to him pushed him fully into wakefulness and he blinked a few times slowly in surprise when her visage did not melt back into the hidden realms of his mind from whence it had surely been conjured.

She smiled at him before her mouth descended towards his and hovered an inch away a near exact recreation of his previously interrupted dream sequence and her words whispered against his lips "I'm the one dreaming."

Her lips were soft at first, tender, searching as if asking permission for her presence here, for her interruption of his flights of fancy. His hands came up and wrapped themselves in the silk of her hair, cupping her head and pulling her down into him and deepening the kiss. A shiver of excitement raced over skin and bone and leapt the small gap between their bodies making pulses race, hearts stumble and oxygen ignite to burn clean in their veins leaving nothing but searing passion in it's path. The sensation sped from shiver to tremble and built to a quake in spare seconds.

The exultant euphoria gained on the vanishing mirages of illusion and air castles shattered and fell in the wake of a force they could not outdistance, reality surpassed the specters of utopia and built to unexplored heights as they raced to keep up.

His hands were restless playing out the tortured moments of the dream world as they brushed down petal soft skin and tangled in silken strands of mahogany hair. His fingers brushed lightly down the perfect smooth skin of her arms to her fingertips where they held her weight as she leaned over him.

With a quick tug he unseated those hands from their position causing her to tumble down on top of him more fully. She landed with her arms on either side of him and the brunt of her weight diagonal across his sheet-covered chest. She broke the kiss with a little giggle as she pulled her hands from his grasp and settled them across his chest so that she could prop her chin on them and look him straight in the eye.

"Hi." Her voice was breathy and soft but her eyes were dancing and appeared a hypnotic midnight blue in the mutable light from the candle. They held warmth and welcome and something all together more dangerous that caused a tingle of heat to shiver down his spine and pool in his gut.

"Hi yourself." He said with an enraptured smile twitching at the corners of his mouth letting his fingers play with the strands of dark silken hair that shimmered in the captured candlelight as they lay across his skin.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here." Her tone had turned the slightest bit hesitant as if she were still a tad uncertain as to her welcome.

"Not really no. I try not to second-guess gifts from the gods. You know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth." The words were spilling from his lips of their own accord as his body absorbed the feel of her against him and his fingertips traced endless circles on her back until she felt in every inch of skin that delicious almost unbearable tingle.

"So I'm an army of one who is going to despoil you in the dark of night while you lay a slumber?" her tone was a little breathy as if she had run a great distance.

"God, I hope so." His smile had turned wicked as his finger traced down her nose and to her lips.

She considered for a moment with a teasing light in her eyes. "Okay, I can live with that. "

She pusher herself up with her hands and started to rise from the bed but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her to a stop "You can't think you're escaping my grasp now do you?"

"I need my weapons in order to launch my secret attack." She gave him an arched eyebrow look that hinted at naughtiness and he thought that another time and place he would dearly love to find exactly what her 'weapons' entailed. Not tonight though, tonight was meant for romance.

He let his hand slide down to intertwine his fingers with hers "Leave the battle plans 'til later Ace, you don't need them tonight."

She glanced down at the bag and then back at him and he saw the beginnings of that stubborn set to the chin. "But I had a plan, I was going to make it special, romantic, I had candles and music and fortune cookies..."

He tugged again until her eyes rose back to his he couldn't help a little quip "Burning number nines and fortune cookies...now there's an unconventional take on romance."

She gave him a little pout "Hey, I was trying to be spontaneous, it's not my fault that the only thing my mom has that would qualify as romance paraphernalia are old candles from the seventh time we celebrated her 29th birthday and naughty fortune cookies that Sookie gave her. It was the best I could do at one in the morning okay."

Her tone was slightly injured and he swallowed back a chuckle with a wink "Hey, I never said I didn't like naughty fortune cookies. I just pointed out that they aren't exactly what you see in the movies. They are different...like you. I like that. I like you." He pulled her back towards the bed "I like that you are here at two in the morning and I am carefully ignoring the fact that you somehow got into my room without my knowledge.'

She grinned a little sheepishly at that "Well, I did have help."

"I guessed as much." He shook his head but then patted the bed next to him. "No worries though, waking up to the vision of you was well worth a little breaking and entering. Now I'm guessing that you didn't commit that little lawbreaking fopaux just to spend the night trading quips so come over here and stop arguing."

"But..." she seemed ready to continue the debate so he sighed in resignation and exerted some force on the hand he gripped.

He pulled her down to the bed again and shushed her with a soft kiss before he looked into her eyes and let everything he felt, everything he wanted and needed from her lay there naked and unadorned for her to see "Rory all I need is you."

All resistance melted from her body as she let him pull her towards him and they fell into the sort of mind-bending kiss that they spoke of in hushed tones in the annals of history.

Rory felt herself falling under his spell, sinking deeper into the sheer overwhelming sensation of his touch, deeper into him.

She had liked kissing before, enjoyed the thrill of her heart dropping to her feet and then rising slowly back to its rightful place in her chest but this adrenaline driven bliss was way beyond her previous experience. She craved him. She needed him the way normal people needed oxygen to breathe.

He pushed her upward following her until he was half sitting facing her and his mouth never left hers, never ceased its tender worship. When his mouth trailed down her neck and over the spot between her neck and shoulder that was bared by her shirt she whimpered at the loss of his kiss and then moaned at the new sensations that raced through her.

She was dazed as his hands flowed down her torso and then explored the curve of her back. They traveled to the edge of her shirt which he whipped up and over her head without a seconds hesitation and then they stilled as the pad of his finger traced the line above her pale pink bra and he looked at her with a lopsided smile "Pink...sweet, delicious, delicate...it fits you."

She felt the heat of his gaze on her bare skin like the warm prickle that you felt when you came into contact with static electricity and she suddenly didn't want to be sweet or delicate she wanted to a part of that electric sizzle that his eyes brought to life in her. Wanted to savor that verge of abandonment until she could stand no more of the charged air she breathed in. Her head fell back as his hands grazed her sides and the sensitive skin of her abdomen and she felt the sizzle of her nerve endings. She felt his mouth on her upper chest like a million tiny darts of fire that scorched her to her trembling center. One desire burned bright in her drowning mind, she wanted to give him the same, to make him feel what she was feeling, the surge of sensation that pulled at her and threatened the threads of her sanity and pulled at all her tightly wound inhibitions until she was left naked and unhidden for the world to see. She wanted to make him burn, to push him close to this fiery edge she stood on.

She leaned back and watched him with solemn eyes that looked like pools of inky blue in the sparkle of candlelight and then in an impulsive move she shackled his wrists with her hands and pushed him back, placed his hands back down gently to his sides before she spoke. Her gaze was a little shy "Let me... I want to touch you... to make you feel..." she left the implication dangling not knowing how to put this heady lust into words.

He looked up into her blue eyes now stained dark with desire and felt his heart catch in his chest. She dazzled him, all that vulnerability and unrehearsed sensuality seared him to the core as he turned his hands palm up within her loose grasp and held them out to show his supplication to her, his lips curved as their eyes met "I'm all yours Ace, your wish is my hearts desire."

It was a gift he gave her that he soon came to regret as she inundated him with exhilarating sensation.

She didn't know exactly where to start on this delicious journey of tactile exploration so she began at the top running soft fingertips over the fragile skin of his eyelids and down the straight bridge of his nose. She discovered that his lips were soft and his cheeks were slightly rough from a fine stubble that sent a delightful stirring through her when she rubbed her lips against it. She watched him, her eyes intent on his every breath and shiver and observed with rapt fascination as his eyes darkened to the deep brown of molten dark chocolate under her ministrations.

Logan held himself as still as he could manage letting her wander, explore and learn the taste and feel of him and died a little with each warm breath that shivered over his skin. Her adventurous fingers trailed over the ridge of his shoulder and down his toned chest leaving exquisite sensations in their wake, a conflagration of desire that raged on in her path and had his hands clutching at the sheets in search of control. He had been with a lot of girls, most more experienced than she was but her innocent exploration, her curiously erotic touch was like having a trail of pure flame burned over your skin leaving a lasting mark to chart it's course down his body. She followed those trailblazing fingertips with her mouth and he arched and shuddered a little when her tongue and her teeth explored his abdomen and licked into his belly button. She was driving him slowly and surely towards that maddening brink.

She uncovered him inch by inch peeling back the silky soft cotton of the sheet from his body as she worked her way south and she felt a little like Magellan on his first cruise discovering new lands, new experiences. She was fascinated by the way the muscle bunched and released under her touch, the velvet softness of the sensitive skin just above his hip that felt tingly on her tongue and elicited a hiss from him as her mouth passed over it. This was a new feeling this power to create sensation, to elicit response, to be so closely linked to him that every shiver elicited a matching response and stirred her blood to an equal frenzy.

He felt his heart pounding as she teased and caressed her way down his body and he thought it likely that he was going slowly insane inch by excruciating inch. Her mouth was driving him to distraction, the laving circles she drew with it like some mystical symbols etched into his flesh that enchanted him, made him a slave to her whim, had him seeing that fey light in her eyes that spoke of mystery and magic and promised earth shattering ecstasy.

By the time she had inched the sheet below his hips they were both mindless, all thought beyond the give and take of sensation singed beyond recognition by the conflagration between them. For all his vaunted control Logan didn't think he could survive another second of her touch, her nearness, without simply fracturing into a billion tiny pieces.

She kissed him then, in the hollow where his leg met his hip and he thought he would surely explode at the tiny touch of her tongue. He grabbed her by the upper arms and all but dragged her up his body causing them both a great deal of agonizing pleasure in the process. Once they were face to panting face he tumbled them over and they rolled together until he was on his side leaning over her, their mouths met and there was nothing tender about this kiss, they ravaged each other, took everything they could get and still wanted for more.

He pulled away slightly and shoved away the flimsy cotton that separated them, tore at the slips of fabric that still covered her as his mouth devoured hers. When they were free of entanglements their bodies came back together and they shared a groan of satisfaction as heated skin met.

He met her eyes and something incendiary flashed between them.

"My turn. " he all but growled it as his eyes raked down her delicate form. He was desperate for her, driven to push her to the breaking point where he stood, to ignite a twin flame in her that matched the one blazing like an inferno in him. He let his hands roam her skin delighting in the pleasure that played helplessly over her features. His every stroke over tender nipples and down the trembling expanse of her abdomen was pure idolatry. Adoration incarnate.

She arched her back off the bed in a plea for deliverance when his tongue branded her breast and trailed lower across her abdomen. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in protest when he skipped over that yearning center and let his tongue and mouth travel up from her ankles, over her thighs in a lazy path while his clever fingers played with the tight silky curls at the apex of her thighs tempting, teasing but never quite assuaging that ache he created in her. Then a finger slid down her silky folds, once, twice with such exquisite slowness that she felt the quivering of each heartbeat, the surge of blood in her veins like time had slowed to a near crawl. When she thought she would surely die of shaking anticipation that skilled finger drifted up to lightly graze her clitoris and her eyes popped open at the jolt of flame that zinged every nerve ending in her body causing a spasm of sensation.

"Oh...god...don't..." she wasn't sure if she wanted him to continue this exquisite torture or end her suffering and she teetered there on the brink for a second before he rose to his knees and crawled back up her boneless body. They watched each other blinking slowly in the wavy haze of passion as he reached one hand over towards the drawer in his bedside table. Without breaking that hypnotic gaze he retrieved a condom and laid it on the bed beside them, she watched him wide glazed eyes as he settled back on his knees between her legs.

He seemed to be waiting for something and she blushed a little but could not help but let her gaze fall down his body, tracing the outline she now knew with such detailed clarity that she could close her eyes and see the image etched there in her mind. She felt her eyes drawn to that part of him that she had avoided touching before and it was a new fascination. He ceased to breathe as her hands snaked out and tentatively slid down that hardened length, she was caught up in the wonder of feeling that velvet wrapped steel in her hand and rolled it experimentally in her palm and then squeezing lightly to the tune of a strangled gasp from him. A powerful tremor of need flashed through him leaving him quavering in its wake. The limpid look of awe in her eyes combined with the satiny touch was his undoing. He had wanted to give her time, to let her experience this long slow slide into feverish exhilaration but it was too much, he couldn't hold on to the shreds of his control any longer and knew that he was close to tumbling over that precipice. More than anything he wanted her to be with him when he fell.

He grabbed her wrist none to gently and pulled her up towards him until they knelt facing each other in the center of the bed. They shivered in tandem not from chill but from the flow of all consuming hunger.

"Rory... are you..." his voice was raspy and rough as it fell on her ears and it twisted something in her heart that even now in the throes of passion he thought of her comfort.

She stopped him with gentle kiss to brief to slake the lust that ran rife in her system. "I'm ready. " she whispered in a throaty voice.

She picked up the condom before he could and tore it open quickly. She rolled the condom down his hot length never breaking eye contact with him and then she scooted back to sit a foot from him and pulled him towards her with a solid grip on his arms until his weight settled over her. She let her hands fall down his body to the object of their quest and guided him to her.

He eased into her, feeling the hot depths of her clamp around him tight as a velvet fist and slowed trying desperately to hold onto his raging need with both hands. He wanted to be gentle and struggled not to overwhelm her with his urge to possess. Rory writhed beneath him desperate to hurry him, going mad with the painful anticipation that seemed to be already tearing her apart at the seams. She lost her patience after a long drawn out moment of this slow sinking and bucked up against him seating him deep inside her in one motion.

He squeezed his eyes shut in a paltry attempt to hold back the raging sensation that threatened to engulf him as that heat surrounded him. He shuddered with the effort and stilled, holding every muscle, every cell rigid. He sucked in a breath through his teeth in a vain attempt to beat back the waves of pleasure that threatened to engulf him clinging to that edge of release with his fingertips. Time was suspended until she took matters into her own hands.

His eyes snapped open when she moved, throwing one leg up over his hips and driving him deliciously deeper. Sex always felt good, it was the nature of the beast, but this went beyond good, way beyond great all the way to heart shattering. He shook with suppressed desire as he met her eyes for a tingling second and then they were moving. Sliding, grinding, racing their way up this wave that carried them ever higher.

All thoughts of control, of mastery or disparate experience were washed away by the force of the blood pounding in their veins. They were equals joined in that endless dance of sensual pleasure. They rolled and careened towards that peak grasping at the edges of heaven as it glittered and reflected in each other's eyes. They were mindless, pure combustible energy for that brief moment at the shivering paroxysm of ecstasy and then they screamed in unison as they plummeted from that peak.

They plunged together into the depths and then knew nothing. Their bodies met and melted into boneless surrender as gravity returned to muscles made momentarily weightless by elation. No sound, no movement intruded on that utter stillness that followed the shattering of barriers. They might has well have been three hundred feet deep in that bottomless sea of sensation blind and deaf to the world outside their embrace.

They floated lazily to the surface, buoyed by the returning feelings of tingling nerve ending and the stir of lungs and hearts that despite the onslaught fought to return to the mundane functions of life. Hearts beat slowly, drunkenly at first and still they did not stir wrapped in each other and cocooned from the world.

It was only long moments later that they separated rolling apart so that they lay staring up at the ceiling, the flickering shapes and shadows that danced there for their viewing pleasure.

They lay there sucking in deep oxygen laden breaths allowing their breath to return to normal slowly until finally the world righted and they recalled that they were not in fact floating on a cloud. Rory finally turned her head with a lazy roll so that she could look at him, this boy who had just showed her the stars.

"Wow." A lot of words might have seemed appropriate in the moment but none came to her still floating mind.

He smiled a lazy sated smile still staring up at the dancing ceiling and then turned his head slowly towards her "No fair, you stole it."

She wrinkled her brow slightly in confusion "Stole what, your word?"

His arm flexed and brought their joined hands to his lips as his eyes warmed her from head to toe with the embers of the fire that had recently blazed between them. His voice was a soft and wondrous whisper when he spoke "No, my heart."


	46. Morning Comes

To quote the verse of a much beloved song, oh what a night... a night of glorious firsts that somehow eschewed the stigma of newness. A night that burned bright with the flames of passion and then settled into warm glowing embers that warmed from the inside out. It was a night that slipped softly into the hazy realm of morning where they drifted in laconic relaxation unable to accomplish more than the motion it took to curl together in the center of the bed and sink under the heavenly weight of the down comforter.

The feel of warm slumber encumbered limbs curled around him and the soft sigh of contentment that whispered its melody against his chest were the last things that slithered through Logan's consciousness before he fell into weightless suspend animation with his lips quirked in a smile. A leap of faith had been taken in the flickering light of a half dreamed reality but in the aftermath still flying on wings of elation he felt peculiarly unafraid of tomorrow.

Minutes ticked into multiples before Rory rose slowly from the depths of dark and dreamless repose. It was on stealthy kitten paws that dappled sunlight crept towards her filtering through her eyelids and triggering an inner alarm clock announcing that another morning had broken through the barriers of night. Usually this was the point in the ritual of wakening where she blinked open reluctant eyes, squinted into that streaming light and stumbled out of the warm cocoon of bed into the reality of day. Normally she would stretch sleep lax muscles waking them inch by protesting inch and then after an attempt at scalding herself into vivification she would brave the common room hoping for a day where Paris was either still comatose, feeling benevolent or engrossed in the newspaper preferably sans her new bedmate who had a disturbing propensity for inappropriate sleep wear that was a tad past her comfort zone before coffee.

This morning felt novel and shiny as a new penny like all the world around had been washed clean and shone with the glimmering light of reflected radiance. This morning was different in more than just geography. Her eyes flickered open and took in the sea of midnight blue that she lay awash in, the unfamiliar tone of the light that fell through diaphanous curtains to be speckle the strange room. Her attention came around inexorably to the body she shared the bed with and she found it disconcerting that it felt so normal to wake up next to him hearing his even breathing like a rhythmic lullaby. She lay there completely immobile and soaked up the new sensations, the satin soft cotton that was tucked around her, the heart beat that thudded slowly against her back replacing the usual ticking of the clock.

The first time with Dean had felt awkward and clandestine, due to the rather complicated extenuating circumstances, but even still she had found herself disappointed, missing that second of repletion and happiness that she had expected in the aftermath of passion. More memorable was the weighty air that had seemed to choke her lungs and required speech to cut it, silence defined by the things that hovered just behind the tip of the tongue. She had needed to talk, to ramble on about music or silly inanities, anything but the fact that she had just slept with another girl's husband and it had been decidedly underwhelming for a life experience that you only got to do once. That time had been a comma where maybe there should have been a period, a dangling modifier that left the meaning nebulous and indistinct, a pause that required an end to the sentence, a thought left uncompleted and lacking in significance. Nothing but a postscript to a chapter in her life that had long since passed into the annals of her history.

This moment felt more like a semicolon, a joining of two independent clauses to make a complete and crystal clear meaning. An elucidating sentence that made sense and changed the course of the story. Set the stage for character development and unseen plot twists. The ramifications of this moment lay not in the past or even really in the present but rather in the blank pages ahead, unwritten and unknown.

There were no words needed, no thoughts struggling to be heard this time and it was exactly that lack of necessity to define, to evaluate and categorize that made this a prodigious anomaly in the existence of Rory Gilmore.

Relationships had never been a simple undertaking for her; they required a level of disorganization and fly by the seat of your pants freedom of spirit that she had never quite mastered. She was usually so busy trying to tread and keep her head above water that she couldn't just let herself sink, let herself float in the moment buoyant and without need of motion.

It was coming pretty easy this morning though. She liked the way Logan slept curled against her back with an arm slung over her hips to anchor her against him, his chin resting just below her shoulder blade so that the warmth of his breath shivered over the back of her ear, and the errant spikes of downy soft hair tickled her cheek.

She felt the warm slide of skin over hers and that arm pulled her closer. Down tighter into that cozy spot next to his chest. She snuggled and sighed in contentment. A thought floated across the empty expanse of her mind and she fell back into sleep with a smile on her face, maybe the Beatles were right; all you need is love.

They drifted for a while, time was a fluid thing in this state of satiation and neither cared to look at the clock or start the eternal ticking of seconds as they passed. Why bother when each minute would merely be a countdown to the next time they would exist in this timeless place together.

Reality intruded eventually, as was bound to happen if one did not exist in a hermetically sealed bubble or on an isolated Caribbean island. Although Logan thought the later might be a very viable option if he had his way. Sadly he had a nagging suspicion that Miss Future Suma Cum Laude Gilmore wouldn't take too kindly to the idea of running away to some South Seas hideaway. Pity really. That was the problem with those good girls.

She turned in his arms so that her face tucked in to the crook of his shoulder and her lips caressed his skin as she spoke, the words a mere murmur against his flesh "So, that's what all the fuss is about."

He heard enough of the comment to pull her closer and she felt the rumble of a laugh under her cheek and smiled a lazy sated smile. His fingers trailed through the silken strands of her hair where it spread on her shoulders and his voice was like a caress in itself. "Worth all the hype I'd say."

Her laughter on his skin made him shiver slightly as he pulled her closer and let his eyes flutter closed again not ready quite yet to set foot on solid land and leave behind this lovely immaterial existence.

She pushed herself up on her elbows and traced a soft finger down his cheek to his lips, when they curled upward at her touch she couldn't resist the urge to drop her lips to meet them and quickly felt that now familiar dive of her stomach as the heat rippled through her. His arms came up and stroked down her shoulder and back in a feather light caress that left a tingling trail in its wake.

She was in the process of kissing him senseless or maybe into sensing in this case when her stomach gave a loud protesting growl. She tried to hold the kiss for a moment longer but couldn't stifle the slight chuckle against his lips. She felt the answering rumble of his chest against her skin and broke away from him to smile as his warm mocha eyes blinked open to meet hers.

She sort of half shrugged and gave him a slightly sheepish look. "What can I say? Cuddling makes me hungry."

He wrapped his arms around tighter and pulled her flush against him rolling in their warm little cocoon of covers until she lay sprawled on top of him grinning down into his eyes "I'll eat my Sherlock Holmes hat the day we find an activity that does NOT make you hungry."

She plopped her forehead down on his and rubbed their noses together before she wrinkled hers in contemplation "Don't worry I think you're safe from wool induced indigestion. My stomach is rather demanding and it really hates to be ignored."

There was another gurgle as if the accused organ was answering in kind and they both laughed before she gave him a questioning look. "Any chance you've got anything besides coffee in these fancy digs of yours?"

"Well I might have something that could be toasted..."

"Tempting but I'm guessing that would require us to actually get out of bed since toasters and bed sheets don't usually work all that well as a team..." she pondered and abruptly snapped her fingers and the light of inspiration flashed in her eyes "Wait. I almost forgot..." she slid half her torso off him reaching over the side of the bed and clearly searching for something. Her wiggling as she attempted to grab her intended target without having to actually to leave the warmth of the bed was enough to have him groaning a little as his body awakened more fully and registered her soft warm skin rubbing against his. He was contemplating a good ravishment when she finally rose from her bent position victorious with a crow of delight and a bag of what looked like fortune cookies held aloft in her hand.

He just shook his head as she scooted back on top of him plopping the bag on his chest with a flourish. He raised an eyebrow at her "So the naughty fortune cookies weren't just a joke."

She shook her head solemnly her eyes widening "Gilmore's never joke about baked goods...its against the code. You know Hindu's have cows, we have cookies and pie and Danishes and scones and..."

He stopped her with a hand "I think I get the drift no need for an exhaustive list. So this is your proposed way to break the fast? Very romantic and sophisticated I might add."

"The breakfast of champions." She grinned as she pushed herself up and off him to a seated position wrapping the edge of the sheet around her exposed chest in the process in a sort of endearing hint of modesty before gaily starting to divvy up the cookies.

He put his hands behind his head and just gazed at her taking in the glory that was his Ace in the morning light. Her hair was a mess of flyaway strands that sort of floated around her shoulders with a life of their own, her cheeks were slightly flushed and still held the slight imprint of crumpled fabric on one side where her head had nestled into the pillow, her lips were a soft shell pink unadorned by anything but their natural blush of color and her eyes, those captivating azure pools sparkled like the most beautiful summer sun off a pristine mountain lake. Brilliant as diamonds, deeper in color than the finest sapphire, more rare than any gemstone one could buy. He'd taken plenty of girls to his bed but he had never woken up with this strange warm slide of desire mixed with such a tender catch in the vicinity of his heart. There was a moment where he wished that every day, every morning could be like this, like the first moment that he glimpsed her sleep softened features and wished for eternity.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Rory handed him a cookie with a playful grin. "So I say in the name of expediency and for the sake of my poor beleaguered stomach we should eat all the cookies first and then read the fortunes. "

"Isn't that sort of cheating?"

"I was unaware of a fortune cookie eating protocol. Besides this way I figure we can pick our own fortunes, my version of free will. I'm quite certain that I remember some ancient Chinese proverb to that effect, you know Confucius say eat cookie first or bad luck haunt you."

"Right because in 500 BC they had little slips of paper cooked into their horseshoe shaped, mass produced pastries." He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.

She smiled quite officiously "Actually as with any good dessert there is story behind the fortunes. I read that they evolved from Moon cakes that the Chinese would give to one another on special occasions then during the 13th and 14th centuries China was occupied by Mongols. There was a group of rebels in Peking who came up with the idea of using the Moon cakes as a way to pass hidden messages between the rebel factions. The bits of paper in that situation were the instructions to co-ordinate the uprising that ultimately formed the basis of the Ming Dynasty. See you shouldn't knock fortune cookies; they have a long and illustrious tradition. You know your history education at Yale seems to be less than well rounded."

Logan rolled his eyes quite expressively "I don't know what was I thinking questioning a Gilmore girls' knowledge of the history of international baked goods?"

"Yours brain is probably weak from hunger so I'll forgive you the slanderous remarks." She stared pointedly at his hands "So, are you going to get on with the cookie breaking ritual or what?"

"I wasn't aware that this was a ribbon cutting ceremony...what are we christening exactly? My bed with crumbs? Although I guess a bottle of champagne over the headboard might be a tad bit messier. As the emcee should I have prepared a speech?" he smirked as she swatted at him playfully.

She sniffed with mock affront "You know you shouldn't be so funny when you have a hungry Gilmore and a bag of very crumbly cookies in bed with you...recipe for disaster." She waved an impatient hand at him "Just do the honors please."

"Right...so to commemorate this once in a life time occasion, the first official morning after breakfast between Lorelai Leigh Gilmore the third and Logan Marlow Huntzberger I hereby test the crumble quotient of this fortune cookie." He snapped the cookie in half and extracted the fortune laying it in front of her. "You may play the part of oracle and dispense the fortunes."

They happily munched on cookies for a short while before they looked thoughtfully at the scraps of paper collected in front of her. Logan was now propped up on one arm facing her and he waved with one hand at the plethora of fortunes. "So, what's the protocol here? Do we just read them all or do we take turns or do we pick them randomly?"

She pondered "I say we take turns but first... there is a little favor I have to ask you...it seems like something is missing from this whole ritual."

"Like what, a dust buster?"

She gave him a playful poke "You know you are awfully stuck on this whole crumb thing...secret hints of your Donna Reed alter ego or what?"

Logan shrugged "Hey, ridicule all you want I'm just saying...breakfast in bed is great until you have to sleep in the crumby sheets."

"You sound like you are speaking from experience." She gave him a slanted eye look that dared him to confirm her suspicions.

He held up one hand in a parody of the Boy Scout pledge "I swear on all that is holy this is the first time I have had naughty fortune cookies for breakfast in bed."

She cocked her head to one side "What is holy to a Huntzberger?"

His mind flashed immediately to his father. His tone turned slightly bitter and the words slipped out before he could stop them "All things with the right brand name...watches, suits, cars and people." His eyes met hers suddenly worried at what she would read in his tone but saw only understanding so he shrugged "And coffee...I suspect that was what you were getting at with the first comment anyway."

"You've got a gift and read my mind beautifully...any chance you can use those psychic powers to move the coffee machine over here with your mind? You know you could be Samantha and I could be Darrin and pretend that I didn't notice it when the coffee amazingly pours itself." She smiled winningly.

Logan rolled his eyes with great aplomb this time "And the insults just keep coming, first Donna Reed and then Samantha the witch, who's next June Cleaver, Jeannie, Lucy Ricardo?"

She gave him a generous smile "Well I was going to go with Ozzie Nelson or Dick Van Dyke but since you seem very in touch with your feminine side today you can have your pick. You might make a nice Ethel."

"I think I'll stick to the real world rather than TV land but thank you. So...you want that coffee or what?" He gave her a questioning look to which she looked quite appalled.

"When there is coffee involved there is no such thing as or what. I need it by the kiloton and like three hours ago. We've got a lot of lost time to make up for."

He just shook his head as he pushed back the covers and slid a foot out of the bed. "Your wish is my command master." He made a good attempt at nodding his head like the genie and escaped the room laughing as a pillow came flying towards him barely managing to snag a pair of boxer shorts on the way out the door.

When he returned moments later he found her sitting with a pile of fortunes in front of her. He handed her a rather large cup of espresso and then plopped back on the bed next to her to drink his own coffee. "First installment of one kiloton of coffee as ordered"

She took a heady sniff and then tipped it to her lips. When the first heavenly sip had slid it's way down her happy throat she smiled brilliantly at him "You, Logan Huntzberger, are a prince among men."

He resumed his former place on the bed now sitting propped against the backboard with a pleased smirk "I'm going to remind you that you said that... often."

"I don't mind as long as you keep the coffee coming. Now onto the discovery of our fates."

She made a show of closing her eyes and pulled a slip of paper from the pile opening her eyes with a flourish and reading the words there "Wise men say brevity is the soul of lingerie." she flushed a little but giggled as she looked up at him "I'll have remember that one."

"Words to live by. Although personally I'd say no lingerie at all is even better." He gave her a wicked smile before drawing his own paper from the pile and reading in a formal announcers voice "In bed it is good to begin well, better to end well."

She grinned, "I'll second that one. Okay, next...People find it difficult to resist your persuasive manner in bed. " She arched an eyebrow at him as if posing a question and he leaned over to plant a kiss on her smirking lips.

"That one is definitely true, you were very persuasive last night." He winked at her before grabbing another fortune from the pile. "Your abilities are unparalleled in bed." He puffed up his chest a bit at that one "tell me something I don't know.'

She rolled her eyes "One of these days your ego is going to so big it's going to suffocate you."

He smirked in her direction "Hopefully you'll be here to give me the kiss of life when it does."

She just shook her head at him and looked down at the next paper in her hand "Always yield to temptation, it may not pass your way again."

She looked up at him with a contemplative look for a moment and he cocked his head to one side looking at her. Then she surprised him lunging across the pile of fortunes and plastic wrappers to wrap her arms around him and kiss him soundly. When she pulled back it was with a slightly flustered but pleased smile "I'm just following the fortune cookie sages..."

"Oh really?" his heart was still beating a little on the rapid side.

She lowered her head slightly as if suddenly shy "Well, that and you look sort of toothsome sitting there. It was too much to resist.

He pulled her back for another deep kiss and whispered against her lips "You won't hear any complaints from me."

They fell into that giddy sort of kissing and caressing that comes with new exploration and were soon rolling amidst the pile of paper fortunes and deep into making their own.

Logan raised his head smiling down at her flushed cheeks and dancing eyes and then lowered his mouth to place tiny kisses down her neck causing her to arch her head back to allow him better access. She let out a little moan that had his blood racing and gave a little shudder that he found utterly captivating no matter how many times he saw it. He trailed his delicate searing kisses lower only to be stopped when the feel of paper met his lips. He raised his head slightly and saw the fortune where it stuck to her skin just below her left collarbone. He peeled it off and turned it over to read to himself. It said in small black letters "Stop searching forever, happiness is just next to you in bed."

As naughty fortunes went it wasn't all that original but the timing seemed impeccable and looking at her sprawled beneath him the words sent a little shiver of recognition through his blood and straight to his heart. Her head rose slightly to see what had caused him to still so suddenly and he met her eyes head on.

There was something in those dark depths that Rory felt all the way to her toes, a melting kind of warmth in his gaze that left her feeling like she had been wrapped in a warm blanket and held close and safe. She opened her mouth to ask him what the fortune read but was interrupted by the intrusion of the outside world.

Two things happened simultaneously, Rory's phone rang from the pocket of her coat and there was a rather jaunty rat a tat tat on the door to the room. Logan dropped his head down to her chest and gave her a little kiss before another knock and a ring called to them again. He sighed and pushed himself up from the bed "Well so much for hiding out, the real world appears to be knocking and calling...very persistent that whole bugbear of reality."

She smiled as she watched him shrug on a shirt and head for the door grabbing a pair of sweats on the way out and then reached for her coat to locate her phone.

Logan swung the door open with a sigh of resignation not having much doubt who would be standing on the other side. Finn, of course, the boy had some sort of built in sonar that allowed him to interrupt at perfectly timed inopportune moments. Sure enough there he stood in full bed head glory with his hair standing in spikes and a blood red robe tied loosely at his waist, not much out of the ordinary except his choice of footwear, a pair of bright blue leather cowboy boots complete with spurs that jingled when he walked. Logan just rolled his eyes and left that discussion for later.

He cocked his head to one side at the hand that was clapped tightly over Finn's eyes. This was a new and beguiling twist to be sure. Finn with even an attempt at modesty, his own or anyone else's was a practically unheard of phenomenon. Finn put a hand out in front of him and advanced through the open door as if feeling his way in the dark.

"Everyone decent?" he snickered a little "Indecent would be better, of course, but unwelcome guests can't be too choosy."

His hand hit Logan's shoulder and then worked its way rapidly down his chest before he said in a disgruntled voice "Damn, not Woodward and not naked, what kind of karma is that?"

Logan grabbed his wrist and forcibly removed the hand from his chest "Apropos actually as karma goes. Did you expect more?"

Finn dropped his hand from his eyes now and sighed dejectedly "According to Hindu teachings a good deed should cause good effects." He waved a hand at Logan's chest " I can't quite figure out how this is repayment for my righteousness."

Logan raised an eyebrow at him that implied complete disbelief "You've been reading about Hinduism? Did you get lost in the library drunk again? Wait let me guess you are screwing a theology major."

Finn sniffed with great dignity "Clearly you will not reach Moksha anytime in this lifetime with this derogatory attitude towards enlightenment. You're bound to come back lower on the wheel of life next time around for ridiculing the pious."

Logan laughed but then ended on a groan as a thought occurred to him "Oh wait, no... Please tell me that you're not taking that philosophy of religion class again."

Finn shrugged with a little huff of irritation "So what if I am? I happen to enjoy traveling beyond the mystic, exploring new realms of spiritual experience."

Logan crossed his arms across his chest "Oh really...because what I am recalling from the first three times that you took the class is that you enjoyed heckling the teacher and picking up new age chicks and converting them to the religion of Finn. Talk about a god complex."

"Where's the harm in that? A little intellectual discourse followed by a little physical intercourse... it's good for the body and the spirit. Besides the Kama Sutra is on the syllabus this year so how could I pass that opportunity up? It would have been against all the tenets of the Gospel of Finn."

Finn looked pleased with his argument but Logan just shook his head sadly "For some it seems that memory is a blessedly transient thing. Do I really need to remind you of the fallen nun or the right wing born again Christian with the shot gun toting father or the Wiccan priestess who put a hex on you and had you convinced that your hair was falling out?"

Finn looked thoughtful "Well...those were unfortunate incidents to be sure but I'm quite certain that I can avoid those pitfalls this time around... no girls in habits, I'll be sure to check for crosses and holy water and I'll definitely run if I see even a hint of eye of newt."

Logan sighed, "Some people really don't learn from their mistakes... I guess I'm a good example. One of these days I'm going to learn not to open the door when you come knocking."

Finn gave him an admonishing look "Your life would be the epitome of blandness without me to add some color."

There was a sharp rap on the half closed door just then that broke through Logan's reply. Both heads swiveled towards the door as it swung open and revealed a rather frightening countenance and there was a nearly audible swallowing in two sets of throats.

Rory finally located her cell phone in the front pocket of her coat and pulled it out just in time to catch the last ring but didn't quite get it open in time to catch it before it went to voicemail. She quickly dialed the number on the id back and waited until a voice came on the other end "You calling for an update on project Birthday Candle?"

There was an exaggerated sigh of relief on the other end "Oh, thank god you are still alive. I was having flashbacks of Invasion of the Body Snatchers there for a moment when you didn't answer. You really shouldn't scare mommy like that, it's not good for my heart at my advanced age."

Rory rolled her eyes despite the lack of a visual "You know if you are worried about your heart I'd say cheeseburgers and fries and coffee and ice cream aren't all that good for your longevity either...need I continue the list?"

"You need coffee and a reprogramming...you're grouchy and heretical this morning." Lorelai's tone was slightly petulant.

"Well... didn't it occur to you that there might be a good reason that I didn't get to the phone in time. Hint ...hint...earth to mother."

Lorelai's voice turned sly and speculative "Ooh...yeah, a good reason with a heartbeat and a hunky David Beckham the early years haircut...right, silly me. So...how was project Birthday candle?"

"Big success... I was on fire." Rory was grinning now as she thought of the night before.

"Not literally right? I mean there is kinky and then there is just downright dangerous."

"Mom..." Rory's tone was one of censure.

"You're blushing right now aren't you?" Rory heard a clap of glee from the other end of the line.

"Seventeen shades of scarlet okay, you win, can we please change the subject." Rory new from the flush of unintentional heat in her cheeks that it was true.

No such luck apparently "Like a maraschino cherry. How adorable, I bet Big Mac wants you right on top of his sundae." Lorelai chortled.

Now Rory's voice had turned towards mortified "Mom...please...there are some boundaries that I really think should be observed for the betterment of society."

Rory could all but picture her mom's falsely solemn features "Sure right. No more jokes about whip cream or chocolate, I pinky swear."

Rory replied with exasperation now "How can you pinky swear when I'm not even there?"

Lorelai answered gaily and Rory knew she had just been waiting for the opening "Wireless pinky swearing, it's the latest rage."

Rory decided against a rebuttal and simply went for a segue "So...what brought on this aforementioned thoughts of body snatchers?"

Lorelai did go slightly serious now "Paris called. She was looking for you. Didn't sound friendly, not that Paris ever sounds friendly but this was a whole new level of off with their heads...impressive even for Madame Gellar. She was muttering what I suspect were swear words in Portuguese and mumbling about dragons or dinosaurs and purple swords. It was a little muddles but I was worried. Afraid to turn on the television for fear that I would see stories on the news with headlines like Yale Student Loses Head and Decapitates Roommate."

Rory sighed; she should have known there was no use trying to disguise Finn's artistic indiscretion from the all seeing eye of Paris. "Oh, well, I guess I'll be on the lookout then, maybe buy a disguise, go into hiding...move to Tibet."

Lorelai pondered, "I'd go with the fake glasses and moustache, some big clown shoes, an Afro wig, a hard hat wouldn't hurt, maybe some overalls."

Rory laughed, "Am I trying out for the Village People or trying to be inconspicuous?"

"Well the Village People would only be a back up plan in case she hunts you down and you have to quite school to get away from her."

"Well, I think it's better to just face the music...you know que sera, sera."

"Hey Doris Day Reference...nice, you must be in a good mood."

"Yeah..." she trailed off as she heard a rather ominous sounding knock from the other room where she had heard Finn and Logan talking moments before.

She popped her head out of the bedroom door only to see Paris advancing across the room practically shooting sparks out her nostrils at Finn who was cowering behind Logan. "Uh, mom, I better go, it looks like Paris figured out where Logan lives."

Lorelai whined, "Oh, no wait, you're not going to give me a play by play?"

"Not at the moment no... Paris seems bent on making a rather messy example out of Finn and as crazy as he is I don't think even Finn deserves to have his hands actually chopped off at the wrist." Rory sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes. So much for peace and quiet and romance the morning after.

Lorelai somewhat regretfully signed off "Bye kid...avoid flying objects, remove all sharp implements from the room and call me later with a recap."

"You got it."

She snapped the phone shut and advanced across the room towards Paris who spun quickly towards the bedroom door when she spotted Rory emerging.

Rory tried for a stern tone "Paris, what are you doing here?"

Paris as was her wont went with mendacious and did a good job selling her eminent murderous intent "What am I doing here? What am I DOING here?"

Rory braved the storm and stood strong "That was the question yes."

Paris put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes to mere slits "After discovering the picture of my bedroom wall complete plastered all over the Yale website I did a little reconnaissance and now I'm here to drag the marauders who painted our room to justice...I 'm guessing you are not here for the same goal."

"Uh..." Rory blushed crimson.

Paris grunted in undisguised disgust and put a hand in the air "Spare me the touching girly confession and lets keep our eyes on the ball here."

She turned back to the two slightly wide-eyed boys. Finn of course was the first to recover and he smoothly approached Paris with a winning smile. Rory did notice as she sidled towards Logan that Finn was wise enough to stay just out of strangling distance of his adversary.

Rory leaned towards Logan slightly and whispered, "What the hell is Finn wearing?"

Logan shrugged as if to wash all responsibility from his hands "I have no idea...we didn't get to the wardrobe discussion before Paris stormed in here on the war path."

Finn weighed the blonde's expression for a moment and then went with the least expected route of attack. He clasped his hands together under his chin and fluttered his eyelashes at her. "Hello Love, I see you've finally come to your senses and given in to the desire that rages between us. You've come to woo me and make me yours. My heart is all aflutter with the excitement."

Paris put her hands on her hips and stalked towards him "Sorry painter boy you're a little off on your motive. I came here to castrate you with a rusty pair of hedge pruners. Then I'm going to kill you nice and slow and string you up in the courtyard as a warning to all wannabe artists not to mess with Paris Gellar."

"And here I took you as a benefactor of the arts." He was proud to say he winced only slightly at the imagery created by her words and then cocked his head to one side as if considering the menacing scowl and the waves of hostility emanating from Paris more of an amusement than a threat of imminent harm "I do always so enjoy a good malevolent and inventive threat of bodily harm. Not the worst I've ever heard but definitely one of the more creative, I'll give you points for that."

Paris' voice dropped low and dangerous "Look fairy boy I don't know who you think you are dealing with here but you really shouldn't mess with me without a battle axe and a horde or your barbarian friends at your back."

Finn looked highly insulted "Fairy boy? Now poodle there's no need to resort to hostility just to mask you true feelings for me."

She gave him her best condescending you are the muck at the bottom of the evolutionary pool look and scanned him from head to toe "My true feelings? My true feelings would singe your dainty little ears and while we are on the topic what the hell are you supposed to be with that outfit on? Gary Glitter? The guy from the Scissor Sisters? Oh wait, I know, the artist formerly known as Finn. My best guess though...give you a feather boa and some platform shoes and I bet you could do a spot on rendition of Bennie and the Jets."

Finn clasped a hand to his chest in mock horror and started to sing in a mournful voice "Don't go breakin' my heart..."

She crossed her arms and tapped a foot in none to subtle irritation like a cat flicking it's tail just before it sinks its claws into you "You are an idiot with a capital I."

"Well every good story has to have a fool. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it otherwise life would be all sob stories and drama." He was silent for a moment as if in contemplation "It's funny you should mention Sir Elton actually, we share an astrological sign you know. I'm an Aries, the almighty Ram. Sort of fitting if I do say so myself."

Paris gave him her patented look of utter disgust "Yeah, very manly for a blatantly effeminate musician... I'm sure he's your hero."

Finn shook his head admonishingly "Hey don't knock the rams or we might knock you back. We've got some greats in our proud ranks, Houdini, Spencer Tracy, Pete Rose and William Holden to name only a few."

Paris almost chortled, "It's perfect actually, you fit right in to that line up, gamblers and drunkards and womanizers...wasn't Hitler an Aries as well? Rounds out the group nicely I'd say."

Finn narrowed his eyes sniffing a new game in the air "I bet I could guess your sign."

Paris gave him an over your dead body kind of look "Sorry to disappoint you but I have no intention of playing your version of the pick up game...this isn't Blind Date."

Finn smiled knowingly "You know for a culture snob you sure know a lot about pop references."

Paris shrugged now a little uncomfortably "What can I say I've lived with Gilmore for too long... it's like diffusion, I get it whether I want it or not."

"Leo..."

"What?"

Finn voice held calm assertion "Leo, I think you are a Leo; strong willed, ambitious and apt to consider the mere mortal as lunch. Plus Mussolini, Castro and Napoleon were all Leos...seems like a nice bit of synchronicity."

Paris gave him a look of total disbelief "Let me get this straight...at the moment when you should be begging me for mercy you are comparing me to three of the worlds most dictatorial leaders not to mention the guy with a total inferiority complex?"

Finn shrugged happily "Hey, if the complex fits."

Paris gave a snort that clearly lacked appreciation for his wisdom "Gee you're a regular astrological wonder boy, good thing you're wrong or I'd have to add it to your already lengthy list of sins. My birthday is November 1st."

Finn arched an eyebrow at this admission clearly considering it a victory "Ah, a scorpion...even more fitting, the powerful, obsessive compulsive perfectionist with a magnetic personality." He sidled over towards her and his voice dropped to a sexy purr of sound as he got barely within reaching distance "You know Scorpios are supposed to be quite passionate lovers."

"Yeah that'll be something to look forward to in your next lifetime which should be starting here shortly." She looked at her watch as if counting the seconds until his demise.

Finn circled to her right still careful to maintain a fairly safe distance "You know pussy cat a wise man once said that sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation; the other eight are unimportant. "

"How profound, maybe they will declare you a guru for the debaucherous, they'll build a shrine to you and form a cult, you can write a how to book and join the ranks of charlatans." Paris was back to the biting sarcasm.

Finn shrugged as if this discussion were of little consequence "It's a potential career path, I'm keeping my options open though." He apparently considered to subject changed and moved on "So about my apparel...since you were kind enough to notice. I was sort of going for a King of Rock and Roll thing...I've been working on my hip swivel and the southern accent, just have to bone up on my Hound Dog rendition and get myself some of those sequined bell bottoms and I'll be a blue suede shoe in for the King himself. I believe that there is a good chance that I actually was Elvis in another life...do you believe in reincarnation darling?"

Rory and Logan were actively stifling their laughter by now but Paris appeared utterly unmoved by the comedy routine. "I do, mostly because I think it would be lovely karmic justice if next time around you could come back as your true self...the king of cockroaches."

Finn looked inordinately pleased by this comment "How flattering, I had no idea you held me is such high esteem. Did you know that scientific studies show that if there were nuclear holocaust cockroaches would be the only ones to survive? Maybe they are the highest form of life and when we have shuffled off this mortal **coil having reached true enlightenment we join the ranks of the immortal as members of the bug brigade."**

Paris was clearly reaching the end of her admittedly short rope "Enough rambling. Do not start with the Shakespeare or the screwball Dave Barry philosophizing and don't think that you can distract me from the matter at hand. Some girls might fall for that smarmy wit of yours but I am not one of your legions of brainless blondes. I smell fresh paint and I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Please make my day and stand in my way, I've been reading up on medieval torture techniques and I would so love to tie you up and make you my first guinea pig."

Finn smiled lasciviously and gave a rather excited shiver "Oooh a girl who's in to bondage, my favorite kind."

Paris lunged but Finn was too quick for her quite smoothly stepping out of reach and surreptitious sidling behind Logan in one swift move. His tone was slightly admonishing. "Now my little minx if you continue in this vein of insults I'm going to start to think that you don't actually like me and then where would I be?"

"Heartbreak Hotel?" Rory piped in with a laugh before she could stop herself and then shot an apologetic look at Paris who was shooting visual daggers at her again. She shrugged slightly. "Sorry, I was taken over by the Lorelai gene, it won't happen again."

Paris seethed "Stay out of this Gilmore or this is going to become a witch hunt and you and lover boy will be first on my list."

She turned back to Finn with her hands crossed in very obvious tight control of her temper and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Look Beau Brummel are you going to confess your guilt in the matter of the giant Barney on my bedroom wall and the subsequent cover-up campaign or am I going to have to pry it out of you by force?"

Finn let out a gasp "First of all it was NOT Barney and I am insulted by any inference of such horrifying likeness, I'm not claiming it was Guernica or anything but Barney? That's just petty and uncalled for. Secondly and I'm just wondering on this one, there wouldn't happen to be a mob family anywhere missing their enforcer would there? You know maybe Paris the Pariah or Gellar the Gorilla?"

"Watch your step Van Gogh you know the way those other tortured artists have gone...I'd say you're treading on thin ice.

Finn lifted a shoulder in a shrug "I have no fear of thin ice, I do not fancy myself a Kahlo or a Cassandre, I'm more of a Galileo...a man of many talents and many pursuits. I do what strikes my fancy not what some internal demons proclaim I should. I am but a mortal shell for some greater soul and follow the Jungian analysis of our dear departed Carl and quote his wise words when he said 'My life often seemed to me like a story that has no beginning and no end. I had the feeling that I was an historical fragment, an excerpt for which the preceding and succeeding text was missing. I could well imagine that I might have lived in former centuries and there encountered questions I was not yet able to answer; that I had been born again because I had not fulfilled the task given to me."

Paris rolled her eyes "Let me guess you have a 'creative sickness' as well. My personal favorite of the euphemistic terms for mental illness."

"I claim no such illness, although at times it might come in handy in occasions such as this they say 'Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.'

"Who are they? The voices in your head?" Paris gave him an exasperated look

"No sadly the only voice there is my own...gets rather dull actually I rather wish that it could be rerecorded like a voicemail greeting, I could get James Earl Jones or better yet Angelina Jolie to do it...then I wouldn't half mind hearing myself think."

Paris sighed as near defeat as she had ever been "You are the most infuriating person I have ever met."

Finn grinned "Why thank you...that's one of the nicest compliments you've ever given me pet." Finn put a hand to his heart "In that spirit of kindness and in the name of peace I will admit my culpability in the matter of the painting and the cover up and the internet posting of said painting. Now what is my punishment dear merciful accuser?"

Paris got an inch from his face and her voice ground out in an ominous snarl "Just stay the hell away from me and my room Morrison or next time I won't be so pleasant or so forgiving." She whirled with great effect and stormed to the door yanking it open just as Finn's anguished melodramatic voice reached her.

"And there it is...a death sentence when I had hoped for a reprieve, the harshest of punishments a life devoid of you my love." he winked at Rory who was all but dissolving in laughter but quickly pulled his face back to tragic and heartbroken.

Paris shot him a dirty look that would have dropped a lesser being in his spot but he remained steadfast and she slammed the door with a resounding crash.

The minute she was gone he turned to the two now laughing members of the audience and bowed slightly before brushing his hands together as if wiping crumbs from them. "Well now, I think my job here is done and I believe I've met my entertainment quotient for the day so I'll just be off to catch a little shut eye."

He headed for the door and paused only to give them a little head nod of approval "By the way you've got my vote."

Logan was the one who had regained enough semblance of control over his mirth to reply, "Vote for what?"

"Cutest sappy couple of course. I mean really Logan I never actually believed that oldwives tale about your face freezing in an expression but you proved me wrong...you've been smiling like a fool since I arrived and I can say that being the King of all fools." He tipped an imaginary hat to them. "Keep your legs and arms in and you seat belt buckled and enjoy the ride my friends." He strolled away with a little dance to his step singing about 'Blue Suede Shoes'.

Logan and Rory just watched the empty doorway for a long moment before Logan crossed the room to push it closed leaning against it with an exaggerated sigh of relief and then fixing a teasing smile on her "Well Ace, it appears that Elvis has left the building...now where were we?"


	47. New Traditions

The clinking of glasses brought Logan abruptly back to the moment and he glanced around quickly to reorient himself to his surroundings. It was Friday night of finals week and the Pub was packed wall to with triumphant, swaggering college students flush with the thrill of victory over the tyranny of the pedagogues of Yale. The party was in full swing and the participants were reaffirming with every jubilant shot downed and beer guzzled the successful re-emergence into the land of living after subsistence in the dungeons of the Yale library. As with any long fought battle won the mood was celebratory, exultant, rhapsodic and uninhibitedly gleeful, the entire crowd was high on the buzz of combined adrenaline, chemical stimulants and long repressed hormones.

It was the kind of atmosphere that any hot blooded young male would consider prime hunting grounds and in the tradition of collegiate life it was all but written on the unspoken rulebook that it was one of the few nights when nary a soul went home alone no matter how reclusive they might be in the normal light of day. This night no holds were barred, no social standings were observed. They were all equals and they were all out to have some fun.

Usually Logan was in the throbbing center of that mass of humanity, simply needing to pick from the plethora of ripe temptations hanging from the tree to find his companion of choice. Tonight he felt disconnected from the heartbeat of the group. He felt a little like a stranger on the outside looking in the fogged up windows and observing the ritual of reaffirmation. To make matters worse he had just found his mind yet again straying from the confines of the raucous party to a certain brunette who was conspicuously absent.

When his eyes focused again it was to see a hand waving mere inches from his face and an astute smirk on the face of one of his table companions. "Hello...Hello...Earth to Hansberger." The hand now balled into a loose fist and knocked on his forehead like one might a particularly stubborn door. "Anyone home in there?"

Logan swatted away the hand with irritated eye roll in Finn's direction. "I'm sitting right here you drunken maniac."

Finn nodded sagely with one eyebrow raised "Sure, your body is here but I'd wager everyone one of my curvaceous friends here..." he paused and waved an eloquent hand at the blonde occupying one knee as if she had ascended some highly sought throne and the red head who appeared to be reading the palm of the hand he was not waving about and the brunette who was draped somewhere in the vicinity of his left shoulder then tilted his head to one side "Well, maybe not the fortune teller...I'm rather partial to the mystical type...but I'll ante up the rest and wager that your mind was about a million miles from our current locale." He cocked his head and paused as if reconsidering "Or should I say about ten buildings south."

Logan was not in the mood for this conversation. "No thanks...I think I'll pass on that bet."

Finn raised his eyebrows in mock horror and gasped "Huntzberger the Hound Dog turning down willing females...it's unheard of, it's quite possible that we have just encountered a complete reversal of the space time continuum, next you'll be telling me the floor is actually the ceiling and vice versa. Although I would have to saw that I would not be adverse to the idea. The floor as the floor has been done, it's past it's prime, methinks we are ripe for a revolution and I say power to the ceiling." He raised a fist and gave a rebel yell, which barely made a dent in the cacophony of sound around them.

Logan rolled his eyes "I'm here, I'm drinking, " he gestured with his third half empty Guinness "I'm just not interested in your leftovers...something I don't find at all unusual."

Finn clapped his hands over the nearest girl's ears as if to protect her from such blasphemous accusations "You are really off your game my amigo." He shook his head sadly "and you've completely missed the point of my metaphorical wager."

Logan sighed and took a deep gulp of his beer before settling back in his chair with an ever suffering look on his face "I know I'm going to regret this but I suspect you will torture me with the details regardless so please Swami Finn enlighten me with your great wisdom."

Finn took in his friend's somewhat belligerent stance and clearly irritated face and turned to whisper to the girls as a group. "Why don' you ladies leave us along for a bit. I'll find you later." He winked at them as a collective "I promise I'll make it up to you."

They giggled but quickly dismounted and disappeared into the crowd. Finn turned back to his friend with a sigh "Why are you here Logan?"

Logan looked surprised; he hadn't expected exactly that tack. His brows furrowed. "What do you mean? It's a tradition, we come every year."

Finn nodded in the affirmative. "True, but the tradition usually involves hedonism and good old fashioned dance on the table tops ideally involving nudity fun not moping in your beer like some aspiring country western singer, so you're not exactly playing the part correctly."

Logan narrowed his eyes in annoyance "I have no idea what you are talking about, I am having a perfectly marvelous, shirt ripping time so just go back to your bimbo club and leave me alone."

Finn waited a beat as Logan pushed his glass around the table with an angry twitch of the hand and then he started to clap. "Good effort but I have to say as a long time critic of the theater, you didn't really sell it. For your own edification let me tell you where you went wrong. For a little recap of the evening lets start at the beginning shall we, the trouble really started when I contemplated sending the next Apollo mission out to retrieve your brain in the middle of your conversation with Heather the perky brunette, you all but tossed poor Cindy the tantalizing blonde on her ass when she attempted to reach across the table to get some peanuts and accidentally touched your arm and you seemed to have gone deaf and dumb when it comes to speaking to women about anything even remotely interesting. I mean I've known you a long time and I have to say I was caught unawares but your very thorough knowledge of the history of the peanut. Not to mention the fact that I'm worried you might be developing a good case of carpal tunnel from your constant watch checking."

Logan glowered and fiddled with the handle of his beer mug. "What's your point? It's been a long week, I'm tired, some of us actually had to study for our finals rather than just right pansy ass papers on the meaning of life."

Finn laughed out loud at that one which was the complete opposite of the intended reaction and made even Stephanie and Colin who had heretofore been engaged in a rousing game of tonsil hockey on the opposite side of the table break apart to see what was happening. Finn just pointed at the sullen Logan and both Stephanie and Colin smiled, in clear enjoyment of his irritation, a reaction that Logan did not find amusing in the least.

Logan glared and all but snarled, "What in the hell is so funny?"

It took Finn a moment to contain his laughter but eventually he answered with a knowing nod of the head "I never believed I'd see the day but you my friend are on the critically wounded list. I'm talking ICU for the commitment phobic. You are exhibiting all the classic symptoms of a fatal case of love. You are all twitchy and cranky and discombobulated... it's kind of cute actually."

Logan snorted and slammed back the rest of his beer. "You know for a guy who avoids commitment like it's some sort of Ebola virus you sure have a lot of advice for the rest of us."

Finn just shook his head "And you my friend are a case in point for why I avoid it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing but once it's got you in it's clutches you are different...not worse, just different and you my friend have crossed the line into uncharted territory."

"You are just blowing smoke now you have no idea what you are talking about." Logan scoffed.

Finn cocked his head to one side "Where is she right now?"

"In the library studying for her Game Theory exam." Logan answered before he thought about it and then quickly clamped his mouth shut when Finn gave a triumphant "Ah ha, I rest my case."

He hunched his shoulders in a defensive posture and frowned into his beer. "Okay, so I know where she is, you had better be getting to your point."

Finn smiled broadly "My point dear sir, which you so neatly proved, is that not only did you know where she was and I'm sure you could pinpoint the exact carrel, you knew why she was there and what she was studying for, which would have been unheard of with any other girl you have dated. Usually you are lucky if you remember their name. However, the most incriminating evidence of all is that you knew whom I was asking about without me ever specifying. I could have been talking about Stephanie or Paris the Goblin Queen, I never specified Rory, and you just assumed that was whom I was referring to. That is very telling my friend...very telling indeed."

"Great, you can be the next Johnnie Cochran." Logan's tone had turned sulky.

Finn seemed to be pondering this "Actually I think I'd prefer the Supreme Court. Defense lawyers are just so... slimy. Just think of me on the bench influencing opinion's making public policy. Besides, I bet I could go commando under those robes and no one would ever notice."

Colin piped in on this one "God save us."

Stephanie gave him a sad look "I think it's too late for divine intervention. Finn is pretty much God's version of a practical joke on the rest of us."

Finn sailed right past that comment and waved them away "Please resume your previous activities, we don't need any help from the peanut gallery lest it engender another lecture on the subject of snack food manufacturing from the damned over here."

Logan snorted but as usual Finn had somehow hit the nail on its rather precise head with what seemed little effort. "You know you are a conceited prig sometimes I don't know why I'm friends with you."

Finn gave him a dead solemn look for a split second "You are friends with me because I am the voice of your subconscious, I say what no one else will and because much as you hate it I'm usually right." Then his devilish smile lit his face "Besides I'm irresistible, it's impossible not to like me."

Logan rolled his eyes "Never say impossible...it's like issuing an all out challenge."

Finn wiggled his eyebrows "You'd never win. I have magical powers."

Logan gave up. He knew where he wanted to be and he was done fighting it. "Go work your spells on some unsuspecting conquest. I've got to go see a girl about a thing."

Finn grinned and slapped him on the back "Good, I win. Give Woodward a big smackeroo for me."

"No way." Logan sent him one last disgruntled look "I hope you have the mother of all hangovers tomorrow."

"Never happen, my blood has a symbiotic relationship with alcohol. Ethanol is my old and well-loved friend, unlike the flesh and blood versions it would never turn on me. Now do me a favor and get lost I am seriously behind on my quota tonight and I have a lot of catching up to do." Finn waved a hand behind him as he slipped off his stool and wandered into the morass of bodies muttering "So many beauties, so little of me to go around."

Logan slid off his own seat and donned his jacket before heading away from the table with a last little wave that he doubted that Stephanie and Colin even saw. Perhaps it was time for the making of a new tradition.

He took a deep breath as he stepped out into the frosty night air and contemplated the unexpected turn of events. It was probably the first time he had ever left the post finals party at the pub before midnight and without a doubt the first time that he had left alone but for the first time he had somewhere he would rather be.

He headed off at a smart pace thinking about the person who had changed some indefinable thing in him.

It had been a month since that night when she had awakened him in the dead of night and made his dream world come to life. Thanksgiving had come and gone along with the annual wretched third degree from his parent's about the direction of his life and sundry rants about his irresponsible actions and his many screw ups. He had mostly tuned it out and had been amazed at how the simple thought of Rory had somehow given him a measure of calm that was unprecedented in the face of the storm. By that night after a complete regaling of Thanksgiving in Stars Hollow complete with ambulance trips for Sookie, a re-enactment of the first Thanksgiving with Kirk playing the rather neurotic turkey and the hilarious tales of the pumpkin pie incident in which one or both of Michel's prized shoe eating dogs were likely implicated all memory of the cold uncomfortable meal he had suffered through with his own excuse for a family were nothing but dim recollections. The rest of the days had seemingly sailed by with not even the slightest hitch. She fit seamlessly in his world in a way that was slightly eerie but he chose not to question it.

It was a month that was different than any other he had ever experienced. With most girls, even the ones he had liked, it didn't take time to chafe at the bonds of commitment, to feel that little niggle of resentment at the time, the energy, the attention that they demanded. With Rory he found himself thinking of her out of the blue, and unlike his past experiences these weren't all mental images of her body, of their intimate time together although that came to mind quite easily as well. What he found distracting was the predilection of his mind for tracing her day and imagining her activities. He knew her routines, he knew her little quirks and mannerisms, could with the mere trigger of a thought see her in his minds eye sipping coffee, the little smile playing on her lips when she was reading a particularly good part of whatever book was her new mind candy. He could effortlessly picture the way her teeth worried her bottom lip as her fingers flew over the keyboard when she was in a creative spurt and the words were flowing. He could picture that sexy little whole body shiver she did unconsciously when she took the first bite of ice cream or the first sip of coffee and it gave him the most incredible high every time she did when he kissed her. He secretly thought that she looked her most beautiful, innocent and alluring all at once when she was just waking up with her hair tangled and her blue eyes dreamy and soft and he had almost gotten used to the little slam against his ribs when she came striding into view across a courtyard or the library or the newsroom. He wasn't just critically wounded; he was on his way to the morgue with his toe tagged. He really didn't know why he even fought it anymore, he guessed it was the ingrained independence in his nature but it was a losing battle and truth be told it was a battle he didn't want to win.

The library came into view and he jogged up the step in anticipation. He found her with predictable ease. One thing he had learned about Rory was that she was a creature of habit. She had a specific way of fluffing her pillow before she fell asleep, she had a favorite yellow highlighter, she always put her socks on right side first and she always studied in the same carrel in the library unless someone beat her there and then she sulked for the rest of the day.

He stopped at the foot of her chair and took in her position sprawled across an armchair with arms and legs akimbo and her head rolled to one side. When she let out a soft snore he let an amused smile curve his lips before he backed away. He guessed she had been at the studying gig for a while and he figured it was about time for a little study break. He grinned to himself as his plan took shape and his footsteps quickened as he went in search of supplies.

Life was good.

The lazy thought floated like lone sailboat on calm water towards the slowly lapping shores of her mind. The warmth of the sun kissed her skin and left her lethargic and lackadaisical without a care in the world. She could almost taste the tang of salt on her skin and the breeze against her flushed face. It was paradise.

Then an annoying buzz started in the back of her awareness like an angry irritating fly that was always out of reach but kept circling, buzzing in her ear only to disappear in a wink the second she turned her head.

She groaned and opened one eye with some effort closing it quickly at the scene that met her eye. She squinched her eyes shut and prayed with all the misbegotten hope of the impious for the white sandy beach and a frosty drink with a tiny pink umbrella. She winced at the glaring harsh white light that met her eyes on her second attempt and raised her head an excruciating inch from it's crooked position to survey her surrounds.

It was the Friday morning of finals weeks but she of course, being born under the dark curse as she was had a final on Saturday, no doubt some commentary on the evil deeds of her past lives or some such nonsense. She sighed and cursed silently to herself as she recognized surroundings that had become all too familiar in the past week. She was not, regretfully, in Tahiti or Jamaica or whatever other tropical utopia most of her classmates were halfway to. No...she, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore had fallen asleep in the library again for the third time this week. Life was rotten.

She struggled to right herself from the sprawled position that defied several laws of gravity and surely qualified as some sort of new act for the Cirque du Soleil. Sadly she was no contortionist and she was going to be feeling the effect of the Game Theory textbook on her sternum for quite some time. She only hoped that a bit of diffusion had occurred while the pages had been in such intimate contact for such an extended time.

The buzzing started again and this time she recognized it as her cell phone which she had set to vibrate to avoid murderous looks from the other lingering martyrs to the gods of finals. She finally located it stuck under her left butt cheek on the chair and flipped it open quickly.

"Hello?" Her voice came out a little croaky and her mouth felt dry and chalky from all the coffee that she had imbibed in the past hours. Coffee that it must be noted had failed utterly in its assigned duty of keeping her awake.

"I don't know about you but I generally find it more useful to have my eyes open when I read. Although the osmosis method may deserve more study." The playful voice was entirely too chipper for midnight in a library and sounded slightly slurred.

"Logan? Shouldn't you be studying rather than prank calling me in the library?"

"Nope." There was no doubt at this cheerful syllable that he was slightly tipsy. There was a little cackle of glee on the other end of the line to which she responded with an ill-humored glower despite the lack of a physical target "I'm finished. Turned in my last Ethics paper this evening, I am without responsibility, unfettered, emancipated, released form the bonds of servitude, living the American dream...free at last, thank god almighty, I'm free at last."

Her voice was edging towards irritable now, one did not particularly enjoy having one's nose rubbed in the dark forces of evil that had contrived to punish her with a Saturday final. "You're drunk and I hardly think that one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time would appreciate you co-opting his sentiments to celebrate your night of dabaucherous self-indulgence."

Logan laughed on the other end "Sounds like sour grapes to me...luckily my good mood is to formidable a shield, to be dented by a few smart alec remarks."

"Did you call just to harass the poor unfortunate souls still suffering in the purgatory of finals week or did you have a reason for bothering me?"

His voice took on an arch tone "Keep it up and I'll keep all my smuggled contraband all for myself." With that cryptic remark he suddenly materialized from behind a large column about twenty feet away from her and waved jauntily with what looked like a large backpack swinging from one hand.

Rory's eyes widened slightly as he caught her eye and her head snapped up to fully take in his appearance. She continued to whisper into the phone now with a hint of censure mixed with curiosity. "How long have you been there?"

She could see the smirk from across the room and rolled her eyes out of habit. "Long enough to hear you do a rather good impression of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack through your nose." He grinned but kept his distance as he watched the blush flood her face. She was such an easy mark sometimes he just couldn't help but tease her.

Her voice dropped to a mortified whisper "Are you saying I was snoring?"

He saw her glance from side to side as if assessing the damage this might have done to her standing as an accepted resident of the sacred land of the bibliophiles and he couldn't quite stifle a laugh as he teased "Like a buzz saw or a chain saw in this case."

She was glaring as she rose from the chair now and snapped the phone closed as she stalked towards him. She reached him a minute later and it was with some effort that he maintained his position leaning nonchalantly against the pillar. She put her hands on her hips and sized him up trying valiantly to ignore the little flush of heat that crept into her blood as she eyed him, secretly enjoying the lines of his body in the tight jeans and dark brown turtleneck. It was a body that she had become quite familiar and equally enamored of in the past weeks but she wasn't about to let that derail her head of steam. She glared at him and tried for indignation "I do not snore."

"What ever you say Ace." He grinned at her cheekily and she had the strong impulse to either strangle him or kiss that smirk right off his delicious lips. She reigned herself in with effort. She really did have studying to do and no time for the kind of dalliance that he was dangling in front of her like a worm on a hook.

"That's slander...you know that's a punishable offense." She managed to hold on to the glare but couldn't quite contain the slight tip of her lips.

"Will you accept a settlement?" He proffered the backpack with a boyish look of chagrinned innocence that she wasn't buying for a second.

She arched an eyebrow at him but grabbed the bag "Depends on what you are offering."

He gave her a completely guileless smile "Only the best for my cuddle muffin."

That got a hot glare "I thought we determined that you were not allowed to use any sickening diminutives to refer to me."

"I recall no contract as such, I'm sure if there had been one I would have gotten some good terms in return."

"It was a verbal contract and I believe you accepted the terms on pain of death."

"Ah. I do recall a conversation along those lines...difficult to make it stick in court though...your word against mine you know." He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

She rolled her eyes at him "I'm ignoring you now. You had better just hope that this contraband lives up to its name."

"Oh it does. Open it and behold my offerings."

She opened the bag and gave a surreptitious glance around the high ceiling room before glancing inside. A smile split her face when she saw a thermos, chocolate bars and red vines but her eyes widened when she saw the ice cream. She snapped the bag shut and looked around with a slightly panicked look "We can't have this in here. If we get caught they'll throw me out. I'll be banned from the land of books. This would be the end of life, as I know it. "

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm and turned and began to pull her after him with a wicked smile in her direction "Well then we'll just have to make sure we don't get caught."

She was tripping along behind him with the bag clutched to her chest even as she protested "But...I have to study...I have a final and..."

He gave her a skeptical look "Consider it stolen time. If I hadn't woken you up you would still be deep in dreamland...besides you look like you need a study break."

She sputtered and glanced back over her shoulder, as the table with her stuff piled on it disappeared from sight behind a bookcase "My stuff...I can't just leave all my stuff there...what if someone steals it?"

This got another exaggerated eye roll "I'm pretty sure the juvenile delinquents don't even know where the library is and trust me Ace even as competitive as Yale is I hardly think that some note stealer is just lurking in wait to abscond with your Game Theory notes as fascinating and color coded as I'm sure they are. Relax, give me ten minutes...I guarantee you won't regret it."

She glanced back one last time just before he pulled her through a door into the dimly lit stacks and began to wend his way back through the maze of dusty tomes. "I regret it already." She muttered but the protest was half hearted and even she knew it. "Fine ten minutes but then I really have to study."

He came to an abrupt stop and then pulled her to the left down an even darker narrower aisle amongst the towering shelves. Another ten feet and he came to a stop in a darkened corner of the cavernous room. "Perfect. No one will find us here."

He grabbed the bag from her and dropped to the floor and settled into position with his back to the wall and his legs stretched out before him before he opened the bag and gestured with a flourish for her to join him.

She glanced around once more slightly uneasily but it did appear that they had the echoing space to themselves so she slid with her back to the wall down to a position on the cold cement floor next to him.

She made a little face as her butt hit the chilled stone and her brow wrinkled "Not the most luxurious accommodations but I guess they'll do."

He sent her a sardonic smile as he rummaged in the bag "Not my first choice of locations, I'd offer you the Ritz but I have a feeling you'd have a problem with gallivanting off to New York with a final tomorrow."

She crossed her arms "I hate it when you're right...causes tears in the whole space time continuum."

"You want ice cream or not Euclid?"

"You know for a very bright boy sometimes you do ask the stupidest questions."

He grinned as he pulled out two tubs of Ben and Jerry's. She turned the containers to read the labels and smiled in appreciation "Chunky Monkey and Phish Food...my..."

He interrupted her with a grin as he offered her a spoon "Your favorite, I know. Hard not to know with the constant odes being sung to them."

She smiled as she popped the lid off the first one and dove in with the spoon. "Mmmm." She closed her eyes and sighed as the chocolaty goodness melted on her tongue then her eyes winked open again as she looked at him with a serious expression "You know I believe in equality and I do try not to play favorites, to give all the flavors their due diligence but I have to say there is just nothing better than Phish Food. You know it tastes even better than I remembered."

He smirked at her "It's the whole secret high that comes from participating in the illicit act of food smuggling...always tastes better than normal food."

She cocked her head and considered "You may have a point there Mr. Thrill seeker."

"I'm an expert on the creation of a high stakes adventure." He grinned at her and took the bit of ice cream that she so generously offered with her spoon. "Speaking of which, you know what the only thing better than smuggled Phish Food is?" he pulled out the thermos and wagged it at her.

"Smuggled coffee and smuggled Phish Food? That's a no brainer."

"Exactly."

"I have taught you well Skywalker." She said with an approving nod. She held out her hand for the coffee but he playfully held it just out of her reach.

"What's it worth to you?" he asked with a sly smile curling his lips.

She pondered for a second "Another bite of ice cream?"

He gave her a look that implied she was slightly off her rocker "You're offering me my own ice cream? You really wouldn't last long in a barter economy."

She pouted, "Okay... my left ear."

He gave her a raised eyebrow lock of half disgust and half laughter "What happened to an arm and a leg?"

She shrugged as if this were an obvious explanation "I need my arms and legs, the ear seemed more expendable as body parts go and I've go another one."

He cocked his head "How did you pick the left one...do you have a favorite ear?"

She sighed "It was arbitrary... so what's the verdict."

He shook his head thoughtfully "Nope, gotta be better than that."

She was indignant now "What's better than a person's ear? This isn't some medieval fairytale, I'm not giving you my first born child."

He shivered "I am neither a masochist nor a fool so you don't need to worry about that one. Last thing I need is another Lorelai."

She smiled with a hint of pride "We are a lot to handle."

He shook his head and laughed "And only a Gilmore girl would take that as a compliment."

She grinned but asked pointedly "So what are your terms for negotiation?"

"Patience my dear, it is but a simple request. A kiss per cup of coffee seems a fair bargain to me." He grinned with a wicked glint in his eyes.

Her eyes widened as she laughed "You know I never thought I'd say this but you are a push over Logan Huntzberger."

"What can I say, finals week has made me a desperate man and after all I am just a simple man with simple pleasures." He said with a little wink and she rolled her eyes in a look of complete disbelief.

"Yeah right, you've never been just a simple man in your entire life. Okay, I'll play your game. A kiss per cup." She held out her hand "Shall we shake on it?"

He put his hand in hers but then used it to pull her towards him until their lips met. The first touch of lips was brief and sweet and Rory had barely registered the flutter in her stomach when they broke apart. "Hmmm." She said on a satisfied hum and then held out her hand "Coffee please."

"Oh no, you're going to have to do better than that for a cup of coffee, that was just the shake on the agreement kiss." He gave her a teasing grin.

" I see." She blinked twice as if surprised by this comment then put down her ice cream carton with deliberate slowness, brushed off her hands and just when he was least expecting it she launched her self at him pushing him back against the wall as she slid over to straddle him. He felt the flash of heat tingle clear to his toes and his heart raced as their tongues dueled. It seemed that no matter how many times he kissed her it never ceased to pull him deeper, sucking him into that vortex where only the two of them remained as all the rest of the universe winked out of existence. Her hands came up to cup the sides of his face and his hands spread under the edge of her sweater to splay on the warm flesh of his back.

It was the footsteps that had them freezing in place and her mouth falling away from his in surprise as they zeroed in on the location of the rhythmically beating footsteps that were coming closer and closer. She looked down at her position straddling his body as he leaned against the wall and a blush washed up her cheeks in a crimson wave. Her eyes widened and darted up to meet his warm brown orbs. There was no way to move or change position without alerting their visitor so they were stuck and Logan was quite certain she would never let him forget it if they were found. The thought of it suddenly seemed ridiculously funny and he felt a tiny bubble of laughter rising in his chest. She must have caught the rumble of slight sound because she slapped a hand over his mouth and her eyes widened even further in panic taking on the appearance of a cartoon character and speaking loud and clear of the horrors of mutilation and dismemberment that she would wreak on him were he to utter a sound.

They were frozen in that tableau for a long moment until the footsteps stopped mere aisles from their hidden corner. She closed her eyes now and he suspected she was praying to whatever deity might listen to repentant bookworms.

The prayers must have worked because a minute later the footsteps started again, this time a rapid tattoo in the other direction, with each beat carrying the interloper farther from their secret spot. She felt his lips curve under her hand as she dropped her forehead to his and sighed once they heard the door squeak open.

"That was close." She said on a breath still feeling her heart race in panic.

He clasped her wrist and pulled her hand from his mouth before he started to laugh.

She glared at him in a huff forgetting for a moment that she was still sitting on him and attempting to look intimidating as she crossed her arms across her chest "I don't see what was in slightest bit amusing. We could have gotten in big trouble, we could have gotten black listed from the library." Her voice held such horror that he laughed even harder. Her voice took on a petulant edge "hey, I've heard it can happen." She watched him as he shook with laughter his hand still clasping on of her wrists and she gave him a disgruntled look "I'm serious Logan, it maybe funny to you but I do not consider library access a joking matter." Her voice was prim and disapproving.

"Your... face" he choked the words out but then succumbed to another fit of laughter "So...funny. You looked like..." he searched his brain for an appropriate picture "Tweety Bird. You know...I twat I taw a puddy tat." This inspired another gale of laughter during which she began to twitch her foot in its shoe in irritation.

When she made a move to climb off of him is hand tightened on her wrist and held her in position and finally he sobered slightly "Sorry Ace but it was damn funny. You make the library sound like the Catholic Church or something. Like you're going to be excommunicated for the slightest infraction."

She sulked "maybe it's ridiculous to you. You can probably buy your way out of a black list but if I get banned from the library I'm sunk. I'm stuck having to study in the room listening to sickening Star Trek analogies from Doyle and Paris ranting at the NPR commentator. I would happily kill to avoid that."

"Point taken." He gave her his most winning smile "How about you forgive me my sins and assign me a few bloody marys or whatever they are and I'll promise to be on my best behavior hereafter."

"It's a Hail Mary you dolt."

He grinned, "Okay...so if you'll just mete out my punishment we can move on."

She sniffed and tried to look haughty "I don't know I have to think of a fitting castigation. "

He nodded solemnly "Of course. Well while you're thinking I'm just going to get back to our interrupted activities."

Before she could protest he pulled her flush against him and was kissing all thought of punitive measures clear out of her mind.

She pushed slightly away for a breath and gave him a disapproving look that failed utterly when her eyes landed instead on his enticing bottom lip. "Hey, I thought you said you've be on your best behavior."

He grinned that wide triumphant smile that always made her stomach drop to the vicinity of her feet "I figure I'm already paying for this sin so I might as well enjoy it while I can. Besides you have to admit it's not my entirely my fault."

"What do you mean?" her eyes were mesmerized by the shine of the chocolate brown that seemed to ooze warmth into ever pore until it radiated in her very bones.

"I mean you have to take responsibility as well, it's not fair for you to sit there tempting me like Eve with the apple with that sparkle in your eyes and that alluring come hither glare and expect me not to want to kiss you. That should be against the Geneva Conventions or something; no man; sinner or saint could withstand that. "

She rolled her eyes but flushed a little at the heat in his eyes. "Oh please."

He smiled as he kissed her chin, her nose, and her cheek with feather light touches and felt her melt slowly against him. He raised his eyes back to hers and gave a little apologetic shrug. "I can't resist you when you are so full of fire Ace. You know that. "

She did know that and the knowledge made her tingle with something more than mere lust. She was the one who grabbed his hand and recklessly dove back into their own personal maelstrom.

The ten minutes turned into forty five and the were looking dusty and slightly disheveled by the time they rescued their now milkshake consistency ice cream and scuttled back into the fluorescent light of the library and headed for her carrel. Sure enough all of her things were still in their same positions no made note snitch had happened by with sticky fingers and light toes. She sighed in relief and leaned back against her chair suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious as she smoothed her flyaway hairs.

"Uh. Thanks." She was looking at him but her eyes were focused somewhere in the vicinity of his chest which she watched shake a bit with what she suspected was a chuckle.

He tipped her chin up with his finger and leaned forward to place a feather light kiss on her lips. "No, thank YOU Ace."

She flushed but she met his eyes. "So will you still be here tomorrow evening? I get done with my final at three." Her fingers played with the edge of his turtleneck, as she looked up at him "I was kind of hoping to see you before you left for break."

He smiled "I'll be here, I'm not heading home until tomorrow night. Call me when you are finished with your final."

"Okay." She smiled and suddenly felt the weight of finals float away as she fell into his eyes.

He gave her hand a little squeeze and pulled her in for another quick kiss. "Good luck on your final, I'm sure those econ snobs will never know what hit them." He produced the thermos from the bag after a little glance around to make sure they were not being watched "Here's a parting gift." He sent her a droll wink "I'd say you've more than earned it."

She laughed helplessly as she watched him walk away with a jaunty step and then settled back into her chair with a sigh. Maybe despite the evil of finals life wasn't so bad after all.


	48. Gray Skies

Lorelei had never liked the color gray. It lacked the definitive nature of black and white and instead resided somewhere in the undetermined in between. It was drab and lifeless. Gray was the bastard stepbrother of the flashier silver but held none of its appealing sparkle or shine. It was the dull, ominous color of heavy storm clouds just before they burst and drenched those unlucky enough to be without an umbrella, the color of matter reduced to nothing but ash, minerals compressed by eons of pressure into slabs of cold granite. It was a color that made no bones about its preference for the lachrymose. Perhaps it was no mistake then that this particular Saturday had dawned so wan and gray that it appeared that even the eternally optimistic Mr. Sun was too depressed to come out and play.

It was the kind of day that would have been better spent hiding under the covers in the fetal position with nothing but the TV remote and an unhealthy quantity of cheese flavored snack foods and coffee as company. She would have down exactly that too if her still sleep clouded mind hadn't started to process the unpleasant racket that had awakened her quite precipitously from dreams of far distant lands where hot Latin men in Speedos were serving her iced coffee drinks in shelled out coconuts under a sky that was decidedly far distant on the spectrum form the gray doldrums of winter.

She was quite sure the sound that had flown her on wings of displeasure from the warm golden sands to the skin prickling morning chill of December in Connecticut had not been the familiar annoying voice of Hello Kitty but by the distinctive squeal of metal hinges screaming for a new coating of WD40 and heavy objects being dragged with much protestation across rough terrain.

She had fleeting thoughts of burglars or rodents of unusual size or maddened livestock but she suspected that these were simply the products of an overactive imagination and a cumulative sleep deprivation that would have made Nathaniel Kleitman roll in his grave. She glared out at the ashen lackluster sky that reminded her of a gray pearl scraped free of its sheen and cursed the likely suspect guilty of this early rousing. Not even roosters were up at this hour and few members of the human race were either.

Personally she would rather be numbered among the oblivious masses still tucked snuggle into dreamland. She hated mornings...if you could even call this time of day morning. It was more aptly named the sleeping hour, to be seceded only after a respectful amount of time by the waking hour.

Unfortunately blissful slumber was slipping farther and farther from her grasp as the intruder continued his cacophonous concert below. She was contemplating the distance to the bottom of the stairs and out the front door and how many pillows she would have to carry with her to suffocate her intrepid morning visitor when the bothersome whine of hinges segued into the rumble of an engine and the grind of tires as they spit gravel in the wake of their hasty retreat. Silence fell over the morning like a sound proof shroud being thrown over the stillness her bedroom and she sighed in relief and let her head sink back into the down of her warm pillow.

She hoped for the return of the dream paradise but gave up on continued repose when her closed eyelids yielded only images of the suspected boat stealing marauder complete with backwards baseball cap, flannel shirt and accusing eyes. . If forced to choose between premature wakefulness and remorse-laden dreams then getting an early jump start on the day seemed the lesser of two evils. She personally enjoyed her guilt served cold and preferably after coffee.

She was showered, dressed and had her second cup of the aforementioned elixir tightly in hand an hour later as she made a dash for the car between snowflakes and slammed the jeep door shut. She resolutely kept her eyes busy with menial tasks, juggling purse, coffee cup and keys with experienced ease. She didn't need to look at the garage to know that it was now empty; she figured she didn't own too many things that a person would feel obliged to show up at five am with a pickup truck to steal. She preferred not to inspect the gaping maw of the structure too closely afraid that emptiness would swallow her whole like Jonas and the whale. She would look later, maybe after a couple of Tequila shots when it would seem hilariously funny that her ex-boyfriend had just snuck in at five in the morning like a thief in the very early morning and absconded with his boat.

She almost made it out of the driveway but her traitorous eyes betrayed her, flitting past the gaping doors for a brief glimpse and then drawing back to that empty expanse with a temerity that was echoed by her obstinate foot that froze in it's position inches from the gas pedal and seemed disinclined to venture further. It was a perverse insubordination that had her eyes glued to the scene of the crime. It was a quandary to be sure, battling heart with brain and the neurons were fired several times like warning shots across a silent field of battle before the mental commands won out.

She drove at first on autopilot her mind flitting past emotions that surfaced in quick succession from the depths. The ugly truth brought to light by the moment was hard to ignore, despite her tough facade and repeated mantra of 'I'm fine' she was far from that promised land and regardless of a worthy effort she knew with a sinking heart that repetitive vocalizations of such aphorisms wouldn't make them true. If fine was the goal she was shooting a consistent zero and the other team, whoever they might be was batting a thousand. She pondered that jumbling of sports analogies for a moment but shrugged it off, obviously even her much applauded mental encyclopedia of references couldn't stand up to a serious lack of sleep and a mortally wounded heart.

It had been a month, an excruciating month that felt like the movie Groundhog Day played at half speed. Punishment for a deed done wrong that required that she relive the same routine over and over with no reprieve, no escape, and no clear path back to the road that she had so mindlessly skipped off of in pursuit of long lost dreams. She imagined it was a little like Chinese water torture and was slowly but surely driving her to the brink of madness.

Aside from that night after the wedding she had not spoken to Luke, they had seen each other; of course, such was the eternal curse of a sleepy little burg such as theirs. There was no hiding or avoiding because all roads led back to Main Street and the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker and in this case the diner owner all resided within bare steps of each other. That being said it was with amazing alacrity or perhaps pure prideful obstinacy that they had somehow managed despite these frequent unfortunate meetings to limit their interaction to mere monosyllabic responses and screamed body language; hers pleading for forgiveness and his denying the comfort of absolution.

Originally she thought that the first day would be the worst, that after the initial sting of hurt, despair and anger it would all become numb, and eventually acceptance would come. Convention taught that it hurt less the faster you ripped the band-aid off so she figured she could just extrapolate that truism to apply to a broken heart.

It might even have worked eventually; unfortunately that was where the omnipresent townspeople came in. They clearly had no intention of letting sleeping dogs lie, in fact she was all but certain that they had held a secret town meeting and voted that if anyone were to spy said sleeping dogs they were to kick them awake with a less than friendly boot to the rump. Sleeping dogs were the scourges of Taylor's well-kept town.

This time around the proverbial boots were in the shape of ribbons, blue and pink ribbons to be exact. Classically overused symbols for the eternal chasm between the sexes and worn as signs of supposed allegiance in a town that had suddenly become bipartisan activists in a personal war.

In the days since the Breakup...an event now spoken of in stage whispers that implied italics and quotes and big bold letters in the scripts that all were reading from, those ribbons had been procreating like wild rabbits, popping up to adorn buildings and people and even the occasional unfortunate animal. Just yesterday Lulu's poor dog had been seen wearing a pink bow that threatened to engulf its tiny head and smother it in its sleep. They were insidious, like a virus or a parasite and they all stemmed from one source... ground zero...Stars Hollow's very own maven of misfortune, the champion of calamity, the king of I told you so...Taylor Doose.

She been driving with habitual movements around the curves of the town square but was shocked out of her reverie and slammed on her brakes in the middle of the street still a block from the town's only stoplight when she saw the boat. Then that wayward foot lightened it's press slightly and the jeep crept towards this newest visage. It was sitting innocently at the curb in front of Luke's diner as if it had always resided there and something about it's familiar shape so out of it's element set adrift amidst the gray mounds of dirty snow made her want to cry.

Then she saw the ribbon, a seemingly innocuous slip of blue plastic that hung slightly off center from the bow of the boat. An insult heaped upon injury that transformed sadness to rage and that turned tears to threats of vengeance muttered through clenched teeth.

Lorelai felt her blood heating and her knuckles going white on the steering wheel as she killed the car engine in the middle of the street outside Doose's Market.

Inside she seethed. Yes, she had screwed up. Yes, she was a horrible person but even horrible people deserved some chance of rehabilitation. Why was it that she was not to be given the normal mourning period to withdraw and wallow but instead was forced to deal every day in every corner with public humiliation, constant reminders of the stupidity of her actions and all that they had cost her. Why couldn't they just grow lives of their own and let she and Luke work things out or not in their own time?

She almost welcomed the surge of anger, better to feel homicidal than comatose, better to ride on that wave of sheer rage created by frustration than to drown paralyzed as it sucked you back into the abyss of loneliness where your only company was the nagging voice in your head that told you this mess was entirely of your own making. What she needed was a good old fashioned knock 'em down, drag 'em out brawl, nothing more likely to cleanse the spirit and what better target than the current thorn in her side. A good Taylor squashing was just what the doctor ordered.

It was time for a showdown at the SH Corral. She slammed out of her car and stalked with angry strides toward the swinging glass door with battle lust whipping in her blood. The townspeople were going to need a vat of Gorilla Glue to put their Humpty Dumpty back together again by the time she was finished with him.

Rory was feeling good. She had two cups of coffee revving nicely in her system and her third in hand as she settled into a seat in the nearly deserted student center. Now she had a nice uninterrupted two hours to look over her notes one more time.

She stuck her hand in the bag beside her to pull out her neatly organized notes but ended up fishing for her cell phone instead when it began to sing it's merry tune. She pulled it out with a sigh and considered the small caller id screen contemplating whether she wanted to let it ring or answer it and give up some of her precious review time. It was her mom. Her mom who knew she had a final this morning... she gnawed her lip but finally answered hoping for the soul of brevity and mere well wishes for the test.

"This had better be good, I've already started my last final count down."

"Like you need more time...I'm sure you've memorized every page of those notes forwards and backwards, I bet you could give Rainman a run for his money in recitation skills." Lorelai sounded chipper, too chipper, the forced kind of chipper that reminded her of the small talk portion of Friday night dinners.

Rory sighed... it appeared the soul of brevity was busy taking other calls on this particular morning. "Thanks for the vote of confidence mom, I think for the sake of time I'll take that as a compliment."

"As you should my little Hermione, as you should." Her tone held what might be laughter or tears or incipient hysteria, it was hard sometimes to distinguish between them.

"Did those nuts at Westin's spike your coffee this morning? You sound a little odd." Rory's brow furrowed slightly as she hunted for a reason that her mom would be this riled this early in the morning.

"No, I didn't have coffee at Westin's today and unless a little green man snuck in and left some of his liquid gold in the coffee pot I assure you I am unfortunately stone cold sober. Not that this morning I would have turned down a good wallop of the old Irish...wait that's whiskey isn't it? How about some Pirate's Booty then."

"Pirate's Booty? Do I even want to ask what you are talking about?" Rory's tone had taken on a note of perplexity.

"It's called improvisation my dear. Silly me I didn't have the colloquial name for Rum wandering around in my brain but pirates are always drinking it in the movies so I figured that would work for now."

"I think I heard it called Nelson's Blood once." Rory said in a thoughtful tone before she admonished herself for encouraging this tangent.

"Well I don't know Nelson from Blackbeard but it sounds like a passable pirate name so it works for me." Lorelai paused as if contemplating this trivia " Just for curiosity's sake with whom were you having in depth discussions about the more colorful names of alcoholic beverages?"

"I'll give you one guess." Rory said relieved to hear a tiny bit the edginess leave her mother's voice.

"Ah, the immortal Finn strikes again." There was a small but gratifying laugh at this.

"I've learned to only half listen to what he says, too much information is an understatement sometimes with him. So, are you going to tell me why you are busy placing your bar order at 10 am or are we going to continue to circle the point of this call?" Rory asked with an eye glancing at her watch. She was worried about her mom but she really needed to study.

Lorelai's tone took on a mournful quality "Is it really only ten a.m.? It feels like a Mesolithic period has passed since I woke up this morning."

"Bad morning huh?" Rory asked now slightly curious as to what had engendered this level of melodrama this early in the morning.

"Think Blitz, Gettysburg, Custer's Last Stand, Pearl Harbor and I think you're on the right page of history."

"You're very militant today." Rory said with a slight smile.

"What can I say I just took on Hitler, Napoleon, Robespierre, Mussolini, Stalin and Mao all rolled into one...oh and throw in Cheney just for good measure, and Rupert Murdoch and Roger Alies... they're definitively in on the whole fascist conspiracy, and I have my suspicions about that Ray Romano guy."

Rory rolled her eyes but quipped back "What do you have against Raymond? Everyone loves Raymond,"

Lorelai's tone had lightened slightly as she pounced on this remark "Exactly my point, I mean come on, I don't care if the guy is kind of goofy and funny... not EVERYONE can love Raymond...he's good though... sneaky, perfect all American spy for the right wing nutcases."

Rory just chuckled but then looked back at her book bag and heard the tick of the invisible clock in her brain counting down to lift off "Is there a point to this diatribe? Much as I love starting my day with discussions of right wing nutcases I kind of have some notes calling my name."

"Hearing voices again eh Babe...you ought to get that checked out. I hear Yale frowns on voices in your head, I think they suspect them of giving you the answers...a whole new twist on cheating on a test. Besides I'm multitasking, doing my motherly duty and distracting you from counting your highlighters again and double sharpening all your pencils. The other kids don't like over achievers, they might gang up and lynch you or turn you into a hairy little rodent or something."

Rory sighed melodramatically "I believe we've been over this before. For the last time, this is not Hogwarts."

Lorelai had on her pouty voice now "It'd be so much better if it was though. Just think how much fun it would be if you had a Whomping Willow. I'm always a fan of vicious bloodthirsty flora, gives new meaning to the term natural selection."

Rory rolled her eyes but continued "No, this is no magic academy, this is Yale and I fit right in at Yale, I think there is even a class called Overachieving 101. I'm pretty sure it says in the by laws that if you are a type B personality they automatically deduct half a point from your grade point average."

Lorelai gave a tiny chuckle "Right, sorry I forgot, California's got the OC crowd, Yale's got the OCD crowd. Please by all means proceed with the pencil sharpening, better to stab fellow achievers with should they ask to borrow you highlighter or commit some other similarly heinous act of lunacy. Now back to my crisis."

"You're not going away until you tell me the story are you?" Rory asked with some exasperation.

"Give me ten minutes... I promise you won't regret it." Lorelai cajoled.

"Fine Aesop the stage is yours but I'm timing you."

Lorelai gasped, "Mean."

"Nine minutes and fifty five seconds." Rory singsonged as she leaned back on the small couch to listen to the engaging tale of her mother's battle with the less than benevolent town father "Okay so you have your moment of enlightenment, decide that Taylor is to blame for all the suffering in Stars Hollow and set of to do your re-enactment of the The Quick and the Dead."

Lorelai continued with "I was locked and loaded ready to throw down the gauntlet. I head for the door at a stomp conveniently forgetting that my new black boots although the height of fashion coolness are not the greatest footwear for inclement weather. Life lesson, if you are going to have a shoot out don't wear heels."

"Duly noted."

"So after I picked my now snow covered derriere up off the sidewalk I finally manage to make it across the sidewalk to the market. or the Fuhrerbunker as I know chose to think of it. Suffice it to say I think my irritation at that point had reached inferno level...imagine Mt. St. Helens on May 18th 1980 at about 8:30 am and you have yourself a pretty good idea of my incipient fire power. "

"I wouldn't have wanted to be in the path of your eruption." Rory spoke from experience.

"I went with a grand entrance and slammed through the door with a crash like Curly Bill Brocious looking for Wyatt Earp.'

"That must have been a crowd pleaser." Rory said in a wry tone as she slurped hot coffee while attempting not to scald her tongue.

"Well there was a smattering of applause but the crowd was awfully quiet, like maybe my head spun around a little and they were all afraid to get too close to me."

Rory nodded sagely to herself "Well you can be scary when you're in vengeance demon mode. I've seen grown men cry at the sight."

"Anyhoo, I go crashing in, guns blazing so to speak and Taylor is behind his counter holding court until he sees me and then I swear his eyes got as big as watermelons and he looked like he was looking for a place to hide. I would have laughed if I hadn't wanted to skin him alive. He was probably smart to start looking for an escape route."

"Undoubtedly." Rory said between sips.

"Your vote of confidence is overwhelming. So, then with my incredible powers of observation I suddenly notice that he is attempting to hide something that he has clutched in his little rodent hands and what do you think it is but the incriminating evidence right there under my nose."

Rory gave a little gasp "No."

"Yes. A box of the damn multihued little buggers in the flesh... or, well I guess in the plastic would be the appropriate term although it feels like they've been constructed with a pound of my flesh." Lorelai's tone dripped self-pity.

"Creepy imagery you should go to work for Stephen King. So what did you do?"

"Well my friend I did what any self respecting vengeance demon would do, I grabbed the box of course. He wasn't giving up his prize so easily though and pretty soon I found myself nose to nose with him over a box of stupid pink and blue ribbons. I put on my best I'm going to scoop out your eyes with a dull spoon and eat them for lunch if you don't hand over the contraband voice..."

"Ooh that is a scary one."

"Thanks, so anyway I look him straight in his beady little eyes and I say 'Taylor if you want to remain standing and in possession of all your parts you are going to give me the ribbons... now.'"

Rory replied in an announcers voice as if weighing the quality of the words "Vaguely graphic yet succinct, I give it a 9."

"I've always found that threats are more successful if you don't' mince words but threaten to mince body parts. I think he was dutifully impressed but it didn't' seem to stop him completely because then he sucks in a breath like he's not quite ready to give up his position on the pulpit as the self-proclaimed authority on annihilation of the human spirit and he wants to make a row of it and I'm secretly praying for just that because I'm thinking that squishing Taylor's head until his little eyes pop out of his head might be a rather cathartic way to end this little scuffle, then we can bury him with the ribbons and put the whole sordid thing to rest.."

"You are the queen of catharsis." Rory said in an admiring tone.

"I've got a scepter and a crown and everything. Given the story to this point you'd think that good old Taylor would see a losing battle and run like the lily livered erstwhile bully that he is but apparently all those day of watching Oprah have convinced him that he's some sort of town doctor so he continues this line of conversation with a trite retort and says 'Don't take your misplaced anger out on me Lorelai'" Lorelai did an amusing impression of Taylor at his whiniest.

Rory laughed but then admonished playfully "I don't think that Taylor actually sounds like Shenzi the hyena in Lion King."

"Not far off though right? He and Whoopi, practically voice twins."

"I don't know, I've always thought he sounded more like a cross between Mr. Rogers and that annoying guy on Seinfeld." Rory's voice went a little analytical.

"Which one?" Lorelai asked in a curious voice as if seriously picturing the mating of these two characters.

"George."

Lorelai chuckled at the mental image that created. "Oh, now that is good, you know I'd never considered that pairing but you could be onto something."

Rory shook her head a little at her mom's wackiness but then caught sight of the minute hand on her watch. "Times up Mr. Henley. I'd so love to hear the rest of this story but I sort have to study for this silly little thing called a final. You know I have pencils to sharpen, highlighters to count. Can I get the rest of the play by play later?"

Lorelai sighed dramatically but the relented "Duty calls and when duty calls at Yale I hear he is very strict if you don't' answer his summons."

Rory's tone was on the serious side "That is very true. Thanks for the distraction. A little final exam is sounding like a cake walk compared to your morning... and you might be right about that whole double sharpening thing."

"Mmmm... cake. Gee thanks, you made me hungry again. Now you'll just have to wait to hear what I said to Luke."

"Luke was there? You didn't mention Luke was there." Rory's interest was peaked again.

Lorelai's tone turned breezy "Not my fault, you were the one with the hook who interrupted me mid-fable. We were just getting to the worst part. Too bad your time is up. Now you will just have to wait. Happy number crunching babe. You'll be home tonight?" Lorelai's tone was a tiny bit on the wistful side.

Rory chewed her bottom lip as she calculated "Yeah, it may be late though, I have to finish packing and then I'm supposed to meet Logan this evening."

"Sure I understand, deserting me now that you've got a better offer, oh to be young and in love. " She sighed melodramatically.

Rory's denial was rote "I don't know about love..."

"Spare me the defense. You know where I'll be. "

Rory could picture it almost exactly "On your throne composing new odes to Gaz while you drown yourself in lab engineered sweets in the shape of torpedoes with cream filling."

Lorelai gave a self-deprecating chuckle "You know me too well kid. Oh and you may have offended my delicate sensibilities with the interruption so you should probably bring a bribe to get back on my good side."

"Who says I want to be on your good side?"

Lorelai gave a mournful sigh "First interruption and now rejection. The pain is too much to bear."

Rory rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine what'll it cost me to appease the drama queen?"

Lorelai's voice turned gleeful "I'm thinking something with cream filling."

'Big surprise."

"See you later. Good luck on your final kid... knock those econ major Trump wannabes on their asses."

"Bye Mom." Rory flipped the phone closed and then sighed as she faced the pile of books in front of her.

Lorelai pulled to a stop in the lot of the Inn just as she pressed the end call button with her thumb and then let her head fall back against the headrest leaving the car in idle. She was in the driver's seat of her jeep and contemplating just how much trouble she would be in if she turned around and made tracks out of the small gravel lot and just kept driving.

She was just imaging the vanishing silhouette of Stars Hollow in her rear view mirror when

There was a hard rap just to the left of her head that had her eyes shooting open and her skull bouncing up abruptly from the headrest. She slapped her hand to her chest in a futile attempt to slow her heart rate when she saw Michel standing primly on the other side of the glass looking impatient and snippy. She sighed as she turned off the car and grabbed her purse. Apparently today she wasn't going to get to play hooky and nothing but her worn thin patience was going to be doing a vanishing act.

She opened the door and slid off the seat, her heeled boots landing in the gravel with a soft crunch. "Can I help you Michel or are you just out playing parking attendant again? You know we could give you a job as the valet if you are tired of your current position."

Michel gave her a little huffy glare "Actually I was inside working...you might recognize the concept, I think you used to do it once upon a time before you became the boss. So there I was just minding my own business ...or our business to be correct, when one of the workers mentioned that there was a strange lady sitting in her car, loitering in the parking lot. We have a very strict policy about loitering you know so I came to check it out right away. Then when I saw it was you I as concerned that you had died in there with you car still running. People can suffocate in their cars you know."

Lorelai rolled her eyes "I think that only goes for babies and dogs and people who are trying to die in their car."

Michel gave a nonchalant shrug "How do I know you don't want to die in your car?"

Lorelai sighed, she really wasn't up to the word game today "Fine Michel. Thank you for your concern. Next time I'm trapped in a running car you'll be the first one I call. Now what do you want?"

Michel's face squinched into what Lorelai fondly thought of has his tantrum face and his hands balled unconsciously at his sides. "I want you to make Sookie stop letting her fuzzy pawed vegetable man use the soap in the staff bathroom."

Lorelai choked over a laugh but managed to keep a straight face...just barely, there was nothing like an irate Frenchman to inject a bit of hilarity into the morning. She was feeling better already "Excuse me?"

Michel was in full rant mode now. "He is a hairy man and he leaves all sorts of hairy remains on the soap and I don't like it."

Lorelai placed a sympathetic hand on his tense shoulder and said in a soothing voice. "Michel have you ever heard the term Nancy Boy?"

Lorelai watched with amusement, as his face darkened a shade to the color of a nearly ripe eggplant "I am not gay just because I value personal hygiene and am not descendant of the ape man."

She patted him solicitously, glad to have something besides her own problems to distract her "It's okay that you don't have body hair or facial hair Michel, we don't think less of you. We know that you are all man under that freakishly smooth skinned exterior."

Leaving him snapping his mouth open and shut like a fish she turned on her heel and headed to the stairs at a good clip.

Lorelai plopped her bag into its customary spot under the front counter and then headed for the kitchen and the siren song of coffee. It was shaping up to be a very long day and she was going to need an infusion of the stuff if this kept up.

She had her hand on the coffee pot when the voice over her shoulder "So you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to threaten to cut off your caffeine supply?"

Sookie had snuck up on her amidst the clatter of dishes and bang of pans and elicited a little jump of surprise but she recovered quickly. Rubbing absently at her right temple with one hand in an attempt to dissolve the gathering tightness of an impending headache as she headed for the kitchen island with her coffee cup in the other. "You wouldn't!"

Sookie tried to look threatening but caved almost immediately "Okay, you're right, I wouldn't, I still remember what happened last time I did that, we still haven't gotten that crème anglaise off the ceiling of the walk in and it's been six months."

Lorelai smiled half-heartedly and quipped with an attempt at her usual spirit "You should never mess with a woman two cups shy of a full dose."

Sookie frowned a little worried about her friend's slightly distracted look, Lorelai only got this distracted and distant when something really bad had happened. "Lesson learned...so, you going to spill the details or am I going to have to enlist the services of my secret weapon?"

"Secret weapon?" Lorelai queried only half curiously.

Sookie smiled her best evil genius smile... no where near as effective as Lorelai's but of passable believability. "Have you heard Michel's rant about hospital corners and the best way to put on a pillow slip without wrinkling it?"

Lorelai pretended shock "Oooh...that's dirty and underhanded."

Sookie nodded her head emphatically "Hey you're not the only one who can play hard ball honey."

Lorelai slumped her shoulders and wrapped both hands around the warm coffee cup staring into the dark reflective liquid as if it held the secret answers to whatever new calamity troubled her before she spoke again. "What makes you think something is going on?"

Sookie noticed that Lorelai was studiously avoiding direct eye contact, which was a sure sign that something big was up. "Well Mary Sunshine I think maybe the glower that puts Margo Channing to shame and the scatter of underlings that nearly fell over trying to get out of your way before they were trampled" she reached out and plucked something from Lorelai's shirt collar "Plus you have a pink ribbon stuck to your shoulder so I figure either you and Taylor played a little round of Russian roulette over the ribbons or you have been abducted by aliens and all that is sitting in my kitchen is a weird space age clone of Lorelai."

"I could be a space age clone of Bette Davis." Lorelai said in a defensive tone.

"Possible but playing the odds I'd say it's more likely that you had a tussle with Taylor." Sookie gave her a knowing look.

Lorelai gulped coffee and then rose to pace back towards the coffee machine with a diffident shrug that belied her tense posture "If you already know the story you hardly need me to recount it."

Sookie could sense the impending stubbornness so she quickly changed

directions to circumvent the inevitable stonewalling "I've got orange hazelnut scones fresh from the oven that need testing."

Lorelai plopped down with a small smile and a raised eyebrow "Well why didn't you lead with that offer? You know my tales of woe are always for sale for fresh baked goods...really I'd probably tell it even for day olds, I'm not all that picky."

Sookie smiled as she slid a couple of scones onto a plate and set them between her and Lorelai as she grabbed a stool next to her and surreptitiously shooed her sous chef into the dining room so they would have a little privacy for their girl talk.

Lorelai bit into a piping hot scone and gave a little groan of satisfaction before she closed her eyes and her mind picked up where she'd left off with Rory as she recounted the story for Sookie

Face to face with Taylor with her eyes shooting wicked darts of anger. "I'd say I hit the target with a direct bull's-eye nothing misplaced about it." She'd heard the timbre of her voice take on a dangerous edge as the haze of anger clouded her vision.

Taylor's officious retort hadn't helped much "I have done nothing wrong. The ribbons are simply a way to clearly delineate the allegiance of town members. It avoids confusion and misunderstandings."

"You've been watching Dr. Phil again haven't you Taylor?"

He'd huffed in self-important indignation and then looked down his nose at her "We wouldn't be having this conversation if you had not once again failed to hold to the stipulations set by town regulations."

"Who died and made you the grand master of the lemmings?" She grated out with indignation all but rolling off her.

"I am simply doing what any good civic servant would do in the humble service of our great community. I would hate to see bad blood developing between the factions and driving a wedge between I wish to avoid the creation of bad blood. We had a meeting about it; I believe that you were there. There was testimony and discussion and you and Luke claimed that the same shambles to which all your relationships come would not befall this relationship. That you two all but cohabitating would not affect the town. I can have Kirk read back the minutes of the meeting if you can't recall the details you'll remember perhaps that I warned you and Luke from the beginning that this was a bad idea that would only lead to strife. It's hardly my fault that you are both too pig headed to listen to the voice of wisdom." It was the sanctimonious scolding finger he stuck in her face as he warmed to subject that had her teeth grinding and her fingers tightening on the bin between them.

"You are the most insufferable punctilious puritanical curmudgeon that ever lived, you make Joe McCarthy look like a free loving hippie and I feel sorry for you." She had been an inch from his face at that point and contemplating what he would look like with a nice custard pie capping his grey hair.

He narrowed his eyes at her but gave a superior little huff "You can throw all the sticks and stones you like Lorelai but it doesn't' make me wrong."

She detested the fact that even a cell in her being saw his point "You know if they gave awards for pomposity and self aggrandizement you would be the unanimous winner."

"Say what you will, I am just doing what is best for the town."

She was done arguing with the infuriating man "That's very Clockwork Orange of you. I'm sure the town people appreciate not having to think for themselves and having right and wrong so neatly laid out before them. I'm sure Stars Hollow will be a model, ribbon festooned best places to live kind of town in no time flat. Good luck with that. Now give me the ribbons before I have to go all Matrix on your ass."

He narrowed his eyes at her clearly incensed by one of her many insults. "Your sarcasm does nothing to deflate my belief that this is for the best."

She gave him her best glare designed to singe him until his nose hairs smoked "Nor your ego either apparently. You have until the count of five to hand over those ribbons and trust me you don't want to know what happens at five."

They glared at one another across the bin both of them dug in and holding onto the bin with all their might. Then she had started to count "One... two... three... four..."

"Five."

The sound of the deep voice just behind her left shoulder had her grip suddenly going lifeless and slipping from the edge of the bin an action which resulted in the bin flying backwards and showering Taylor in small pink and blue ribbons. She'd completely ignored his gasp of outrage and spun towards the intruder. "Luke..."

It was all she said, and she pictured now how she must have looked, the blazing red swaths of color on her otherwise pale face, her eyes pleading with him but tongue-tied. Her voice finally came out in stilted syllables.

"I...what, I thought that you..."she knew it was probably obvious that her eyes were searching his for something, a truce or an acceptance of her apology or some glimmer of a waver in stance but she hadn't been able to stop the instinct.

He shrugged and she could tell that he was suddenly uncomfortable with all the eyes on him as his shoulders rose into their hunched protective position "I thought you might need some help. I'm not much of a Matrix guy but I might be good in a shootout, I've been told I do a mean Butch Cassidy." His voice was an attempt at lightness that she couldn't seem to reciprocate. The bottom had just dropped out of her stomach and apparently taken every ounce of her wit with it.

She had been the one to tell him that one night when she had let him pick the movies and they had ended up with a medley of Westerns, as her payment for allowing him to choose she had insisted that they act out one of the gun battle scenes in full cowboy regalia...which in her case had meant a big belt buckle, a flannel shirt, some very fetching boots and a cowboy hat but Luke had looked a bit like he had stepped directly out of the dusty streets of the Wild West with his five o'clock shadow and steely eyes "And I'm a shoe in for the Sundance Kid." She'd murmured it reflexively but it had seemed like she'd screamed the words.

It was the most conversation they had exchanged in weeks and Lorelai had found herself suddenly ill-equipped for verbal communication as she sucked in a breath and attempted with much lauded strength of character not to notice the stubble accented curve of his cheek, the shadows under his eyes the little trickle of hurt through the facade of sarcasm that only she could detect in his eyes. They read each other well... they should be together, they were two halves to a whole, sarcasm all but the breath of life, cynicism and belief that life was the enemy their common fodder but deep down the softest of heart, the gentlest of spirit the most romantic of souls. They were the believers and yet time and again life dealt them the low hand, made them the brunt of the joke, the example for the masses. The good guys who never won.

Thoughts flitted through her mind but words escaped her, a rare occurrence for her. Come what may, hell, high water or pregnancy at sixteen she had always had the gift of gab, the ready comeback, the witty repartee, the smart alec remark, when in came to the art of sly commentary she was the queen. Yet there she was at a most critical moment in her existence, a pivotal situation and she stood with lips opening and closing like a beached fish gasping for air and she was...well, speechless, there was no other word for it and she was not one who had a whole slew of previous experience with speechless. Typically she had something to say, take any make it or break it moment in the life of Lorelai Gilmore and there was a pithy comment, a remark regarding the ultimate relevance of the moment, the scale of relativity that spoke to the weight of that particular second in the scheme of things.

She had been pregnant and sixteen and she had hardly hesitated to pass judgment on herself and all involved, a glib comment had never been far from the tip of her barbed tongue until this moment, this most important moment when she stood face to face with the man she loved and found her self at a complete loss for words, seemingly without comprehension of the common language of English and with no knowledge whatsoever of the nuance or the art of conversation.

She'd wanted to reach out to him, she'd wanted to feel the rough stubble of his cheeks on her fingertips and the soft, hungry greeting of his lips on hers, she'd wanted to break through this invisible wall that seemed to fill the space between them but she hadn't known how to take the first step. So she'd run.

"Well." She shook her head physically at this nonsensical answer and managed after a particularly violent shake to rattle some sense back into that wayward skull of hers. "Thanks."

She whirled back towards Taylor with a look in her eyes that did not warrant discussion and grabbed the bin from him with one vicious jerk before leveling her killer gaze straight at him. "You can call an emergency town meeting and have me fined or tied to the maypole or something but these are mine and you are not getting them back." he had nothing more than a mere mumble in response and she spun towards the door all but flattening poor Luke in the process. She sent one last look in his direction before she stalked from he store with her head held high and the basket of ribbons clasped tight. She hoped with some tiny part of her that believed in old movie endings that Luke would come after her and demand to talk or better yet would grab her and kiss her passionately effectively cutting off any thought of verbal communication.

She was ten steps past the door when she heard the distinctive bell ring over the door to Luke's but she didn't look back. She was another ten steps down the street before she belatedly recalled that she had left her car double parked in the middle of the street.

She turned on her heel and gaped at the sight that met her eyes. Kirk in a construction hat with the flashing lights of a tow truck at his back as he directed traffic around her parked car.

Sookie slapped a hand on her arm in shock "No. That's horrible, that miserable little lackey."

Lorelai nodded and in the warm cinnamon scented air of the Dragonfly's cozy kitchen with her third cup of coffee steaming in front of her the whole scene suddenly took on a new twist of the burlesque. She felt a little bubble of laughter escape her as she locked eyes with Sookie. "Yeah, bad enough that I have a tug of war match with Barney Fife in public but then I turn around find David from the Village People towing my car. It was an unprecedented level of shtick even for Stars Hollow's usually nutty denizens. For a minute there I thought maybe I was being Punk'd

Sookie giggled girlishly "Too bad you weren't, that Ashton Kutcher is almost as yummy as my strawberry mousse cake. I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of him and he wouldn't even have to pay me a million dollars for it."

Lorelai's lips curled into their first real smile of the day as she shook her head in mock reproof and clucked her tongue "What happened to Jackson in this little Indecent Proposal scenario? You remember Jackson right, husband extraordinaire, father of your child, hairy tormentor of prissy Frenchman."

Sookie waved a dismissive hand "As moody as I've been lately I think Jackson would probably pay him to take me. Besides I'll just chalk it up to the wacky hormonal urges brought on by pregnancy. Mention anything with the word estrogen in it and Jackson's eyes cross and I swear he is humming 'I can't hear you' in his head."

Lorelai chuckled "Men do seem to have a terminal case of the heebie-jeebies when any mention of feminine issues comes up."

Sookie nodded sagely "Good thing too, that little peculiarity has come in useful on several occasions." She planted her elbows on the counter and studied her friend who was looking slightly perkier but still not entirely up to snuff. "Seeing as you are sitting in my kitchen and I don't think you hiked through the snow to get here I assume you managed to wrest the jeep away from Wonderboy."

"Kirk's not hard to intimidate just mention anything about night terrors and falling out of trees and he turns white and starts shaking like a tiny little leaf. I think he almost lost his hat he was convulsing so strongly." Lorelai smirked a little.

Sookie tested the waters gingerly with her next question. "So what are you going to do next?"

Lorelai shrugged "I thought I'd have a nice ritual ribbon burning, sort of a cleansing ritual of sorts, you know get rid of all the bad qi ...plus the Taylor cooties." She gave Sookie a hopeful smile that begged for her to drop the subject.

Sookie gave her a stern look aching inside for Lorelai; she hated to see her friends in pain...both of them. "I meant about Luke."

"Oh." Silence as Lorelai stared deeply into the muddy liquid in her cup and then finally gave a deep sigh. "Nothing. Just like I've been doing for the last month. He asked me for time and I'm giving him time. Maybe the rest of his life at this point."

"Oh hun it's not..." Sookie stopped abruptly when Lorelai's hand came to rest upon her lips silencing her next words.

"Don't Sookie." Lorelai dropped her hand and shoved back her stool as she rose from the counter with a resolute look "I know you mean well Sookie but this time you're wrong. I made this particular cross and now it's mine to bear. Luke has every right to be angry with me and every right to hate me... forever if that's what he chooses."

She placed the cup in the huge stainless steel sink out of habit and then headed for the door, turning just as she reached the jamb "Thanks for the girl talk and the scones. I'll be fine don't worry." She'd meant them to be reassuring but the words sounded hollow eve to her. She shrugged and tried for a lighter note. "I better get back to the desk though, I think Michel may be calling for an impeachment soon if I don't make an appearance."

Sookie was having none of the false nonchalance. "Maybe if you just talked to Luke..."

Lorelai gave her an imploring look, between Sookie and the rest of the townsfolk she wasn't sure how much more of this well-intentioned pity she could handle without losing her grip on the vestiges of her sanity that remained "Sookie, please. Just let it be."

Sookie sighed in resignation but nodded in the affirmative "Okay Hun, whatever you want, but you know I'm here if you need anything."

Lorelai nodded as she backed out the door "I know. Thanks." And then she was gone disappearing around the corner of the stairs as she headed for the front desk.

Sookie bit her bottom lip with her teeth and forced herself to count to ten. Then she picked up the phone from the side counter. Sometimes when dealing with the notorious Gilmore stubbornness one had to be creative about how one mounted an offensive. It was time to shake Lorelai out of her imposed exile and she had just the thing to do it. What she needed now was reinforcements.

A/N: Okay, so I know this took a LOT longer than promised and this chapter didn't have any Rory/ Logan in it but I promise much goodness to come. Thanks so much for your patience. I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow. Happy reading!


	49. The Plot Thickens

A/N: This chapter ended up really long but I just couldn't seem to bring myself to break it into two chapters... so take a coffee break in the middle if you feel the need and just PRETEND that it's two chapters.

Happy reading!

The door to Luke's Diner clanked shut with a not so welcoming ring as if even the familiar tinkling of the bell over the entrance had gone a bit out of tune with the recent sourness emanating from the vicinity of the kitchen.

Jackson glanced around the homey diner but found it strangely desolate for midday on a cold, frosty Saturday. Missing were the usual hangabouts laughing, chatting and sipping their steaming cups of coffee with laconic molasses like torpor that lasted until Luke threatened mutiny with muttered whispers and eye thrown daggers. Gone were Lane's habitual garage band french-fry begging associates. More notable perhaps was the absence of the habitual gaggle of Stars Hollow characters littering the homey dining room with their banter and gossip and unsolicited relentless good neighbor acts (that would be Taylor of course).

It seemed the recent rumors of flambéed hamburgers, half cooked fries and customers being tossed unceremoniously arse over teakettle out into inhospitable winter snow were not simply fabrications of Taylor's pernicious little mind after all. Jackson began to feel that perhaps despite his initial hesitation this little machination of theirs was coming just in the nick of time.

There was one hardy soul hunkered down at the counter who Jackson did not immediately recognize from the back of the tan overcoat and a flitting Lane who was fasting approaching him with startled darting eyes that whispered their dire warnings from ten feet away.

She grabbed him by the arm as soon as he took a step towards the counter and steered him a step back towards the door with a quick glance back at the kitchen as she hissed in a muted voice "What are you doing here? Go away immediately before you get hurt."

He shook off her small yet surprisingly strong hand with an admonishing look "I'm here to see Luke."

She shook her head in denial as her eyes widened even further and she took a step back involuntarily as if the speaking the name aloud might have summoned some heinous devil from sleep. "What about Sookie?"

He gave her a perplexed look "What about Sookie?"

She pushed ineffectually at his shoulder as she darted another glance back towards the kitchen from whence a loud clanging sound had just emanated. "There is no time for questions. Just trust me on this. Leave now while you still have the chance. Do it for the good of your family, little Davey and Sookie pregnant with the new one. It would be such and unnecessary tragedy for them to be without their..." she waved a vague hand at him as she darted another glance towards the kitchen " head of the household."

Head of the household? He liked the sound of that even though he knew he'd lost claim to that title some time ago and held no bitterness towards his conqueror, after all not every takeover was hostile. He patted Lane on the shoulder and shook his head sadly when he got the gist of her warning. "It's nice of you to say that but you trying wresting the scepter of sovereignty from a pregnant woman and then maybe we'll compare war stories. You think I'm crazy enough to brave the lion's den on anything but a mission handed down by the highest power? I may be eccentric but I'm not suicidal."

Lane gave a surreptitious look around again as if searching for spies and eavesdroppers then leaned towards him slightly "Does that mean you have a plan?" her tone was edged with a hysterical kind of hopefulness that bore witness to the burden of her silent suffering.

Now it was Jackson's turn to glance around in search of hidden eyes and ears before he gave her single secretive nod. "Go see Andrew at the bookstore and ask to see the copy of Moby Dick, all the answers will be there. Now I have work to do so run along so you don't blow my cover."

Lane gave him a knowing nod and then scampered towards the door as Luke's gruff voice echoed from the back as he cursed at some sort of kitchen appliance.

She gave Jackson a hopeful double thumbs up before she grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door and made a dash for the door. "I'll just give you some space then and a parting warning; if smoke starts coming out of his ears run as fast as you can in the other direction." She gave a cursory wave and then the sickly bell was singing its mournful melody in her wake.

Jackson headed for the counter and plopped unceremoniously down on a stool next to the other man who he had only just now recognized as Kirk who was either aiming for incognito or going through another of his phases of impersonating Sam Spade from the Maltese Falcon. It was often difficult to ascertain the exact motivation behind Kirk's particular brand of crazy.

He was about to comment when Kirk leaned over subtly and spoke in a thoughtful tone without ever taking his eyes off the glass of water he was rolling between his hands with measured strokes. "Meditation and water are wedded forever."

"Huh?" Jackson regarded his strange compatriot with a perplexed look for a long moment before suddenly the light switch flipped and Jackson goggled in shock tinged with injured pride. He scooted a little closer, speaking in a somewhat plaintive whisper "She called you?"

Kirk gave him a haughty glance and a tiny shoulder shrug as he contemplated the entrance to the kitchen as if perhaps he were expecting the second coming "...I am quick to perceive a horror, and could still be social with it."

Jackson pursed his lips in a sulk and he stared at his hands "Geez, I wonder how many OTHER people she called before she called me. Certainly makes a man feel less than useful. Apparently I'm not even her first choice of arm-twister." He gave a little snort of indignation.

Kirk looked ready to retort when there were sudden heavy footsteps from the kitchen. His eyes widened and he reared back slightly as Luke advanced towards the counter looking decidedly more beastly than even his usual unfriendly demeanor might lead one to anticipate. "There she blows!--there she blows! " Kirk said in a voice that went a little squeaky on the last note. He stood up swiftly from his stool and made a quick exit with a last parting comment "I am the Fates' lieutenant; I act under orders."

Jackson wasn't sure whether this parting remark was an explanation, a plea for clemency or simply the final bow in a quirky one-man show. His preoccupied analysis was swiftly diverted from the vagaries of the town clown when something slammed down on the counter next to him and he whirled in surprise coming abruptly face to face with one of Luke's more threatening scowls.

He swallowed and went a tiny bit cross-eyed as he followed the jabbing finger that was now only inches from his nose on it's course towards the departed soubrette. Luke's voice was edged with impatience "What was all that babbling about? He's been driving me batty all morning with his questions about whales and marine knots and I swear to god if he calls me matey one more time I'm going to stab him with a fork."

There wasn't a doubt in Jackson's mind that Luke had just such a dining implement all sharpened and gleaming in the back just waiting for such an opportunity. He gulped air around the walnut sized knot in his throat that felt decidedly like fear. He straightened slightly and pushed the accusing finger gently to the counter before he cleared his throat and tried for an authoritatively dismissive tone. "Who knows...its just Kirk. Understanding Kirk is like trying to cross a beet with an artichoke. You end up with nothing but purple hands and a big thorny mess." He trailed off when he saw that Luke had lost interest in his analogies of the vegetable variety.

Luke's gaze was locked to left of the door where the escaped Kirk stood posed outside the plate glass windows with his hand on his chin as he looked thoughtfully at the boat parked in front of the diner. "Now what the heck is he doing?" Luke waved an exasperated hand and marched towards the door wrenching it open with a great deal more force than was absolutely necessary and setting the besieged bell to clanging again.

He stopped on the front steps with his hands on his hips just as Kirk patted the boat with what appeared to be a sympathetic look on his face and said in mournful tones "A noble craft, but somehow most melancholy! All noble things are touched with that."

Luke growled "Kirk!"

Kirk gave him a mouse who's just spied the big mean tomcat kind of look before he pulled up the wide collar of his tan overcoat, pushed down the brim of his brown fedora and scuttled off at a quick pace across the town square.

Luke slammed the door behind him still muttering under his breath in irritation as he swiped a used coffee mug of a near by table and rounded the counter. "What do you want?" he asked after a moment as if he had only just remembered that he had an audience.

Jackson stuttered a little as he grabbed a menu trying to buy himself a bit more time to figure out how best to broach the subject of his assignment. He perused the list of sandwiches carefully holding the menu as a barrier between him and Luke in case the two feet of Formica countertop weren't enough. "How is the turkey club?"

Luke gave him the special look he usually reserved for people like Kirk who he considered to be one step from the door to the Looney bin. "I don't know, you tell me. You've been ordering it for the past eight years, give or take a few."

"Hmmmm, now that you mention it I think I remember that the club is quite good." Jackson nodded seriously as if this were all news to him and then considered the menu again "How about the Roast Beef and cheddar...what comes on that?" he looked up at Luke and blinked his eyes innocently as he had seen Lorelai do on countless occasions, although he did note that usually when she did it Luke didn't glower with quite this amount of sheer animosity.

Luke gave him a surly look and ground out the answer through clenched teeth "Roast beef and cheddar."

Jackson frowned as if highly concerned by this information "Oh...so no tomato? I always think that roast beef is better with tomato."

Luke's patience snapped with a nearly audible cracking sound and he snatched the menu out of Jackson's hands and slammed it down on the counter between them. "Hey..." Jackson shut his mouth quickly on the tail end of that sentence when he saw Luke's stony expression and followed his pointed finger to the sign that said 'We reserve the right to refuse service.'

"You have ten seconds to tell me why you are here or to vacate the premises before I give you a helpful boot to the rump." He braced his hands on the counter and leaned forward with a menacing look "What's it going to be beetchoke boy?"

"Beetchoke? That's a good one..." He trailed off at Luke's sinister growl and his mind went blessedly blank as he stared up into Luke's face. He coughed once as if this would restart his brain like lawn mower that has idled.

There was a silent pause and then he tried to think again...nope, nothing surfaced. Best to try back another time when Luke didn't look quite so Jeffrey Dahmerish. Not even thoughts of a hysterical pregnant woman could keep him rooted to this stool. "Uh, I just realized that I'm not all that hungry after all. Maybe I'll just come back later."

"Here let me help you." Luke said with false pleasantness and followed uncomfortably close as Jackson stumbled towards the door. He even held the door open in all pretense of politeness but Jackson felt the whoosh of air blow past him when it slammed solidly a mere inch from his back. He glanced back surreptitiously and observed Luke as he crossed his arms, assuming what Lorelai called his Paul Bunyan pose. Then he turned tail and ran.

Luke watched Jackson retreat, nostrils still flaring with intimidation then he sighed in exasperation. This town and its incessant meddling were going to be the death or at least the insanity of him.

His shoulders slumped a little and with no curious Johnny-on-the-spots to witness it he gave in to defeat and slid on to the stool that Jackson had recently vacated and put his elbows on the counter. He stared blindly at the familiar wall in front of him until his eyes landed on the cell phone sign that had so often engendered a sort of ritualistic banter with the woman he considered the love of his life.

He wondered when his life had come to this shell of an existence, like an old house torn down by weather and humanity board by board until nothing was left but the bare framing, the skeleton of a structure held together by nothing but a few rusty nails and some crumbling mortar.

The loss kept at bay for so long by sheer stubborn will came to rest on his shoulders and they lost any strength to hold up the burden as he dropped his head to his hands and let himself feel the sadness, the anger, the ache of loss that he'd seen so clearly mirrored in Lorelai's startled blue eyes just this morning.

He didn't know what to do but he knew he couldn't go on much longer like this, lashing out at customers, burning orders, holding himself together by will alone. And apparently doing a rotten job of it. He'd thought that some time and space was the answer. That clarity would come with distance but all that had brought was loneliness and pain. His reasons for walking away, the reasons that had seemed so rational and justifiable only weeks ago were fuzzy and indistinct now and only one thing stood out clearly in his mind.

He needed her. Here, now, in his life for good...and the look in her eyes this morning had put the cold seed of doubt in his heart that whispered that maybe he was too late to rectify the mistake that he had made. The mistakes they had both made. He realized that a part of him had just been biding its time, waiting for the sting of pride to subside so all could be made well.

The thing that he had never thought about, the possibility he was only beginning to see with frightening clarity was that Lorelai might just do something that was entirely foreign to her personality. She might walk away without a fight. He shuddered now to think about the cause of this revelation. Behind the illusory shimmer of angry heat and the flush of embarrassment this morning he'd seen a hopelessness and defeat in those liquid pools that made his blood run cold and his resolve crumble like ancient plaster.

Miss Patty caught Jackson a block from the diner, took one look at his drooping shoulders and downcast eyes and shook her head in disgust as she clicked her tongue in disapproval. Jackson gave her the sad eyed look of a whipped puppy dog and looked at her pleadingly "I tried Patty, I really did but Luke is in serious ogre mode today and now I'm afraid to go home. Have you ever seen what hormones can do to a perfectly sweet tempered woman? Now add a knife block full of sharpened steel to that and you've got my life. I feel like I'm going home to one of those wheels of death where they pin you up and spin you around and throw knives at you."

"Oh now honey, don't you worry my little brussel sprout, Miss Patty will fix everything." Miss Patty gave him a soothing pat on the cheek with her warm plump hand and then smiled "Sookie is well intentioned but she miscalculated when she sent a boy to do a woman's job." Her smile took on a hint of the predatory. "You just scuttle on home with some good chocolate and a nice bouquet of flowers and leave this to the resident expert." Jackson nodded enthusiastically at this idea and was off down the street like a startled hare having scented a predator.

She called after out to his disappearing figure with a wicked afterthought "Don't forget to wear protection if she starts in with those knives." She rubbed her hands together and set her sights on the now empty diner with the gleeful look of a predatory female in heat. "Now for the dirty work."

She sashayed towards the diner as only a flamboyant entertainer accustomed to the limelight could. She got to the door just in the nick of time to intercept an emboldened looking Kirk before he could venture again into the bear's den. Kirk gazed in and muttered to himself "This whole act's immutably decreed. 'Twas rehearsed by thee and me a billion years before this ocean rolled."

Miss Patty's hand shot out just in time to halt his forward progress and push him gently aside as they both stared in at the sad tableau in front of them, an empty diner, a dejected heartbroken man with his ball cap crowned head bent in submission.

"It's not your show this time Kirky. Why don't you just run along and tell our mistress of ceremonies that the things are going just swimmingly and our white whale will be there right on time."

Kirk gave her a skeptical look and quoted again in a pious tone "If the gods think to speak outright to man, they will honorably speak outright; not shake their heads, and give an old wives' darkling hint." Head held high he headed down the steps with Miss Patty's deep chuckle following at his heels.

Miss Patty focused back on the man hunched over the counter in misery. A man that she had known since he was rangy teenager shouldering the burdens of the world at far too young. She remembered him then, quiet, contained, a hunk of a boy who barely had eyes for the girls who strew themselves like rose petals at his feet. No this one was patient and he had eyes for only the rare treasures. Treasures like the blue-eyed brunette currently moping in her own little bubble of despair across the town. A treasure that their hero Luke had coveted for a long time before he got to touch it and taste it and believe it was his own. She couldn't' believe that a little bump in the road would derail this pair, not after all they'd gone through to get where they were.

They belonged together; everyone knew it, most of them long before the pair in question had an inkling of the state of their hearts. Miss Patty liked to claim that she was the first one who had seen it but even she knew that was an exaggeration. They'd all seen it, with the exception perhaps of old Mrs. Bailey who had been blind as a bat for ten years and even she had claimed the hair on her arms had stood straight up and saluted like General Lee himself had entered the room, truth be told Mrs. Bailey was still a southern belle at heart despite the fact that she hadn't been in Georgia since the great depression. Suffice it to say that everyone within the tri-state area had probably felt the shift in the air the day their two star-crossed lovers had met.

Lorelai had been hard to miss even for a habitually oblivious guy like Luke, with her mahogany curls and sapphire eyes. If that wasn't enough she hit you with the one two punch of a sweetly animated smile and a mile a minute wit.

She bounced into the town like she was on a breathless adventure and she was irresistible with her laughing eyes and the pixie like clone of herself in tow. Like a magical being somehow imbued with the force of life at its zenith. The pair were as agile of tongue as a talented thief with his hands and before anyone in the quiet little berg had blinked they'd stolen the very heart of the town, enchanted the gruff, the officious and the quirky alike. By the end of that very first day, they belonged.

They'd come looking for kindness from strangers and made them all into instant characters in their merry play, even Luke the practical man who preferred to keep his feet solidly grounded in reality hadn't been able to resist the lure of their enchanting world.

Miss Patty remembered that day with a wide smile on her face as she recalled seeing the pair skip happily into the very diner she stared into now on their exploratory jaunt through the village proper. The place had been bustling and Luke was mid-tirade about some inane new rule imposed by Taylor the Terrible. She'd been watching the show with Babette, from their usual front row seats when she'd seen Luke still, mid finger point, and watched his eyes flick to the woman who had just blown into the diner like a breath of fresh tantalizing air to a man deprived of oxygen for far too long. Patty was no stranger to electricity and these two had it in spades, it was a wonder that they didn't incinerate the place in that first glorious burst. The protagonists were clueless and the audience walked away with singed eyebrows. She hadn't felt so alive since her Broadway days. Living vicariously had never been better.

Luke and Lorelai had become an instant hit as a town past time. It was voyeurism at its best. There was no better way to start the morning or end the night than to watch two completely clueless but totally enamored people flirt with the dangerous edges of attraction. She loved junk food, he was a health nut, she was the verbal equivalent of a hummingbird on six cups of coffee, he preferred his sentences kept to monosyllabic grunts, she threw herself into the town's zany customs with gusto, he avoided them like the plague. In short, despite their combined emotional baggage, they were perfect for one another.

No one doubted it not even Taylor, the town cynic.

How could you when you watched them together? The wicked little smiled she saved just for occasions when she'd made him smile despite his best efforts at surliness or driven him to spout off in some rant about the evils of grease and caffeine even as he refilled her fifth cup of coffee. You only had to see his face when he spied her across the square or walking down the street and for that split second everything he dreamed about lay naked in his eyes.

They had their faults, but who didn't? He was afraid to love because too many people that he had loved had left. She was afraid to rely on anyone but herself because too many people she had relied on had disappeared when she needed them most. He always stayed and she always ran but in the end the whole town had seen them turn to each other time and again over the course of the years in friendship and in love. Bets had been won and lost many times over about how long it would take them to face what everyone else saw everyday in every nuance.

No bets had been made about when it would end. No one wanted to bet against them. This was Stars Hollow, Connecticut, not exactly the birthplace of Montagues and Capulets. They liked their oddball town customs and their happy endings served with pie and coffee.

As far a Miss Patty was concerned this story had no other possible ending. Happiness was just a matter of persistence and the right attitude and she had just the plan in mind to give Luke's attitude a little tune up. She pushed through the door with a resolute set to her shoulders.

Luke didn't lift his head and his snarl was more of a muffled growl "Go away immediately or I'm going to toast YOU and cut off the crusts."

Miss Patty settled onto a stool next to him with a deep chuckle "Now doll that's no way to talk to a lady." Her voice went low and sultry "Lucky you I'm no lady and I'm always up for a good toasting."

Luke's head jerked upwards as he identified the voice and a slight flush crept up his neck despite his best efforts to control it. He cleared his throat a little self-consciously. "Sorry Patty, I thought you were Kirk."

"Well that's not one I get often but I suppose I can understand the mistake. I stopped him inches from your door just now and shooed him off to work his special brand of inanity on someone else."

Luke slid off the stool and rounded the counter, setting a cup in front of her and pouring coffee out of pure habit. He gave her a look of gratitude. "Well then it sounds like I owe you one. What'll it be?"

Miss Patty leaned an elbow on the counter in a languorous pose and eyed him suggestively "Well..." she let the syllable draw out all smooth and seductive like oil on the body of a sinuous young Brazilian "Now that you mention it." She let the intimation dangle for a heartbeat. No one could ever accuse Miss Patty of not having a perfect ear for timing.

At his small sputtering cough and darker flush she laughed "Luke Danes you always were a tease, dangling all that deliciousness out there just to tempt a girl and than snatching it back just when she's ready to sink her teeth into it." she figured she'd had her fun with him when he turned a startling shade of crimson and looked ready to choke. She waved a nonchalant hand at him "Now handsome don't gets your boxers in a twist. Tell you what, I'm in a benevolent mood so I'll settle your debt for a slice of banana cream pie."

He cut the pie and slid the plate towards her leaving it mid-counter as if her were afraid to actually get too close to her. She chuckled deep and sultry before she took a bite of the pie and made a sound of approval. "The food of the gods." She took another sinful bite "You learned that from your mom. I remember her pie. Her pie was poetry, it might have lingered only a moment on the lips but it was well worth it." She pointed a fork at him and allowed her eyes to go a little distant with the haze of memories " I remember you back then too. I remember watching you run, a sight for sore eyes I'll tell you me. You ran like you were out to catch something that was just beyond your reach and you never gave up, lap after lap without stopping or slowing, it was a thing of beauty to watch and not just because of that butt in those short shorts." She chortled a little at his uncomfortable look but then continued. "You had drive and you never stopped until you reached that finish line. I admired that about you." She subsided her commentary and seemed content to savor another bit of creamy pie.

Luke waited for a moment and then narrowed his eyes when nothing more was forthcoming from the usually talkative Miss Patty "What's your point Patty? Are you in on what ever numbskull plot Jackson and Kirk are up to?"

Miss Patty gave him a wide eyed innocent look as she finished off her last bite of pie and laid her fork primly on the edge of the plate. "Point? I don't believe I had a point. Can't a woman just reminisce every now and then over a piece of truly superb pie?" She was up and off the stool neatly ignoring the comment about a plot. "Thanks for the indulgence Luke. You're a good man but you should really work on that paranoia. Pretty soon you'll be ascribing to Kirk's conspiracy theories." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms but she ignored this gesture as she gave him a smile and turned for her grand exit.

She headed for the door at a leisurely pace but only took a few steps before she stopped and turned in the doorway as if a question had only just occurred to her "You know that despite Taylor and his blustering we would never run you or Lorelai out of town just because you things didn't work out between you."

It was more of a comment than a question. Luke's forehead wrinkled in confusion "Of course, I never listen to anything that old wind bag has to say, especially about a relationship that is none of his business."

"Good." She took two steps towards the door before she hesitated and looked back over her shoulder again. "Lorelai knows that too right?"

Luke shrugged to show his lack of ability to act as Lorelai's mouthpiece but then answered when the Miss Patty's face crinkled with worry. "I'm sure she does. Lorelai isn't the type to scare easily or to let anyone else run her life."

Patty looked at him for a moment as if weighing his answer and then gave a relieved sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure that nonsense I overheard about her father finding a buyer for the Dragonfly is nothing but a red herring. I best be off now before Taylor finds me and ropes me into another planning meeting for the snowflake festival. That man will kill you with his meetings. " She was blathering on merrily but she didn't miss the flare of Luke's eyes as they went wide like a horse startled out of the gate by the starter's pistol just as she swung her considerable girth towards the door and made a hasty exit. "Thanks for the pie love."

She waited until she was halfway down the street before she let loose with her Cheshire Cat grin. Never underestimate an aging starlet's ability to read the audience and zero in for the kill.

Luke blinked and she was gone, for a woman more given to strolling Miss Patty could move like lightening when she wanted to. He was still reeling from her off hand words despite the fact that he was certain that there was some trick up her sleeve.

Lorelai would never sell the Dragonfly. Would she? No, of course not. Emphatic period at the end of that mental sentence. There was no doubt some completely logical alternate explanation for whatever conversation Miss Patty had overheard through her spy network. Of course there was really only one way to find out. Ask someone close to the source.

Miss Patty congratulated herself on the effort as she watched Luke shrug on his coat and storm out of the diner moments later as if a band of wild hyenas were nipping at his heels. The plan was working to perfection. They had just cast off the anchor and set sail. She pulled out a cell phone and when a voice answered on the other end she spoke softly into it "The white whale cometh."

A gust of wintry wind pushed the heavy door closed behind Rory with a resounding thud and rippled over the back of her neck causing an involuntary shiver and wreaking havoc with the flyaway strands of hair not covered by the blue knit hat with the poof ball dangling from the top.

None of this bothered Rory though, nor did it do anything to dampen the beatific smile that graced what you could see of her face above the tightly wound scarf. She was free, free at last from the fetters of studying...at least for a few weeks and a little snow and ice wasn't about to keep her from enjoying every precious second of it. She skipped down the cement steps feeling as light and unencumbered as Maria had when she'd cast aside her wimple and danced away with nothing to weigh her down but her satchel and guitar.

She did a happy little jig that served the dual purpose of keeping her warm and evincing her current euphoric not a test in sight and two gallons of coffee still coursing in her bloodstream high. There was never so great a feeling as the one experienced when you finished your last final and were staring into three weeks of blissful free time where you were required to do nothing but read books purely for enjoyment, watch movies, eat massive quantities of junk food and sleep... sleep like you were Rip Van Winkle and didn't care in the least if a good century or two passed you by. Pure heaven.

The snow was coming down softly and the breeze swirled it idly in soft patterns that brushed the icy crystals against her cheeks and left them snow kissed and slightly numb. It was a perfect day to enjoy a winter wonderland. She felt like a little kid again kicking the new drifts of powdery snow in front of her feet as she ambled towards her dorm. Then suddenly a thought dawned on her. Lorelai was too far away to come out and play in the snow with her but she knew someone who wasn't. She made an abrupt turn and grinned as she picked up her pace. Now all she had to do was talk Logan into coming out to play.

Alone in his dorm room sans his usual peanut gallery of friends who had departed earlier in the day for sundry vacation destinations scattered about the globe. Logan plucked a brown shirt back out of the bag lying open on his bed and tossed it in a drawer before selecting an alternate of nearly the exact shade and cut and throwing it at the growing pile next to the bag. He let out a disgusted sigh as he surveyed the lack of progress.

He was supposed to be packing. To the idle observer it might even appear that he was doing just that but in reality he'd been staring blankly at the bag on his bed for thirty minutes and this was the fourth time he had unpacked and repacked the brown shirt for no apparent reason.

He was sulking and he knew it but that did precious little to redirect the mood that that had veered in the direction of a brood after he was awakened less than pleasantly by the insistent ringing of a phone at the ungodly hour of ten. The mood had gone down a steep incline from there when he found the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to his father. As if he wouldn't be tortured soon enough with his overbearing patriarch's agenda for the holidays it seemed that dear old dad had decided to start in with the festivities early this year, probably making up for lost time as Logan had cleverly managed to beg off on the last few social gatherings since Thanksgiving with a myriad of paltry excuses about the demands of his academic calendar.

He'd know it was only a matter of time before his father would tighten the reigns and Herr Huntzberger hadn't disappointed. If there was one time of year that his father loved to put on a good show for his underlings it was the holidays and this year was clearly no exception. Logan grimaced as he remembered the not so gentle reminder from this morning, he was expected for the annual holiday gathering at the office of the Hartford Tribune this evening promptly at nine pm and there would be hell to pay if he was late. Logan planned not to get there a second before ten just to see the look on his father's face when he came strolling in so fashionably tardy. Just another part of the endless game they played.

The reminder had been nothing new and although cause for irritation was no reason for the current stew. No, rather it was the pointed remark from his father about the promised presence of certain eligible female companions of the appropriate age and his own inability to shake loose the cat that had managed somehow to sink it's claws into his tongue and allowed no mention to Rory to slip pass his teeth that had him scowling. It only served to remind him of the current unfinished business weighing on his conscience.

It wasn't unusual for him to feel less than enthusiastic about heading home for a vacation. The Huntzberger version of the holidays held little resemblance to the Burl and Ives version of a winter wonderland filled with holiday spirit. There was no Santa Claus or merry elves where he came from, no doubt had Santa ever ventured near the Huntzberger estate he would have been arrested on trespassing charges and hauled straight away to be jailed with the rest of the silly sentimental creatures that people outside his cold world chose to believe in.

Normally this didn't bother him, in his mind the less merriment that was expected of him when in the company of his father and his father's cronies with their glasses of scotch and their simpering eligible daughters, the better.

He dropped the sweater he was holding and slumped into the chair opposite his bed, letting his head fall and rubbing absently at the back of his neck trying to loosen the tension that had crept into his shoulders like a stealthy unwelcome guest at his father's first hint of matchmaking. Their history of disagreement about worthy consorts went back into the far deep past and had its roots around the time he'd first learned to speak and their first argument had ensued. Things had been in a lull of late and the conversations he had with his parents at the holidays recently amounted to the small talk one might have with a distant acquaintance over highballs of scotch at a cocktail party, nothing more, nothing less.

He'd know the armistice was temporary. What he hadn't expected was that he would be the one to drop the bombshell that would split that tidy peace wide open.

This bombshell was a big one. A girlfriend. A girlfriend that he cared a great deal about, a fact that would all but insure that his family would judge her less than suitable if only because they hadn't personally picked her out and had their chance to brain wash her before throwing her into the shark tank.

Normally this would have secretly thrilled him and he would relish the fact that he had in his grasp something that would ruffle the smooth surface of his father's facade but normal was seeming along way off just now and he was feeling uncharacteristically reticent about dropping this stone through the deceptively calm surface of the pond and watching the ripples carry off into the distance.

Therein lay the dilemma at the root of his current bad humor. A bugaboo neatly summed up in one word.

Rory.

He was unmoved by what his family thought of him but he had a sinking feeling that Rory wouldn't be so cavalier about their opinions of her no matter how unfounded they might be. He'd seen with his own eyes that despite her sassy, fast talking exterior she was tender underneath and he had no doubt that a seasoned battle veteran like his father would manage to expose her soft underbelly in bare seconds and rip her to shreds with a few well placed words.

Logan had ridden out worse storms and was none the worse for the wear but this time the course he chose to sail was going to affect someone other than himself and he wasn't sure if Rory was ready for the kind of rippling his family employed to rearrange the world to their liking.

Truth be told he wasn't sure he was ready for the perennial critics who called themselves his parents to start casting aspersions on something that was still so new to him or tarnish it's shiny luster with a wash of doubts and half spoken threats. He wanted to keep her to himself, for himself and out of harms way. He wasn't ready for open season on their relationship, not until he could be sure that his father didn't hold the power to drive them apart.

His father would say it was the wrong strategic move. He would say that any play made with the heart ruling supreme over the mind was like trying to fight a battle with hot steel before it was plunged into the ice bath that gave it strength. Mitchum Huntzberger thought of love... or really any human emotion other than ambition, as a weakness; a fatal flaw to be ruthlessly wiped from your soul lest it stand in the way of loftier pursuits, like building an empire.

As a child he'd watched from a distance and he'd thought that love must be one of those deceptively simple phenomenon in the pantheon of human emotions. That once you figured out that your only job was that of a woman in a waltz, to accept your role as dance partner and allow your heart to lead, then everything else...the swelling music, the shimmer of light off crystalline superfluities, the steps that carried your feet in endless twirls on polished oak would come as natural as breathing.

Of course he'd understood even then that those rules didn't apply to a Huntzberger. Huntzbergers didn't like to let anyone lead, even if it was just their own less emotionally crippled hidden half doing the leading. Love was something to be admitted only in hushed tones and dark hallways lest enemies and friends alike who might exploit the weakness as just the opening they had long sought to bring you to your knees overhear it.

That wisdom had been ground into his very soul for as long as he could remember by his father and his grandfather, once the uncrowned monarch of the LDB himself, who had no shortage of fanciful tales to be told with great pride of the sheer hard headed pugnacity that had helped the Huntzberger name prevail over weaker, softer fools.

He'd wondered secretly why anyone who called himself a friend would deny a person such a great pinnacle of human experience as was worshipped by poet and politician alike.

That was before he had understood how the Huntzberger universe worked. Before he had realized that friends and enemies stood across a very thin line and the distinction wasn't always a matter of reality. Then he one fateful day he had become aware of the role he was expected to play in this grand game of eternal one-upmanship and the battle field had become crystal clear. Like the immortal battle of the Jedis his worst enemy was his own kin.

There was one infallible truth that had stood the test of time in the Huntzberger manifesto, come shipwreck or front page story, honor roll or incarceration Logan never reached that pinnacle of his youth's highest hopes...his father's approval. He told himself that he'd given up trying a long time ago when he'd seen that this was his Everest and decided that he no longer cared to scale the highest peaks but the truth of the matter was there was a tiny part of him that never stopped holding it's breath at each new juncture, never stopped stinging at the inevitable reproof and never stopped trying to rebuild that burned bridge between them despite his pride. He feared in his heart that this tiny unnamed part of himself might never quite be vanquished or silenced.

This was the part of his psyche that was whispering, gibbering actually in the far dark reaches of his mind with the fearful mutterings of an enslaved man seeing the light of freedom but unable to take the step into that enlivening radiance that might be love.

Logan had thought a lot about love back then when he still hoped to see it revealed in his father's iced steel eyes. He'd thought about it some more when he was still digging the shrapnel from his heart after his first and only relationship exploded in his face to satisfy his father's politics of control.

He'd always thought of it as an elusive thing. A prize that was eternally just beyond his grasp. After those early scars he'd stopped thinking of it all together and insulated himself in a bulletproof microcosm where he convinced himself he was better off without it. Then Rory Gilmore had shown up with the silver bullet that tore right through his supposedly infallible barriers.

Lately he'd thought of nothing else.

Logan was lost in the depths with his elbows on his knees and his forehead in his hands feeling the first pounding drumbeats of a headache begin their march into his skull when the pounding took on a surreal authenticity and echoed through the room. It took him a moment to drag himself from his thoughts and realize that it actually was not a figment of his imagination but the rat a tat tat of a real fist on the outside of his door.

He glanced at the clock at his bedside but wrinkled his brow in confusion when he saw the time; it was early still although not as early as it should have been given his wasted hours of retrospection.

He was baffled further when he swung the door open and came face to face with a rosy cheeked, wickedly grinning likeness of the apparition that haunted his thoughts. Rory had a look on her face that could only be described as exultant and a shine to her eyes that made them dance and caper with barely contained joy. She had her hands clasped behind her back and was rocking back and forth on her toes in an antsy two-step. He was a bit concerned that she might hit the ceiling any second if she wasn't anchored by something strong.

She cocked her head to one side when he stood their frozen with his hand still on the door knob and took in the baffled look and the messy spikes on his head that were the usual aftermath of his frustrated habit of running his hands through his hair. She bounced up lightening fast and placed a little kiss on his lips before he could react.

"You're early." He said uncertain about why he was suddenly overtaken with the joint urge to smile and to scowl.

"You're grouchy but don't worry I'm immune." She said with a shrug remaining where she was and still smiling, seemingly unperturbed about this less than enthusiastic welcome.

"I was packing." He said tersely by way of explanation.

She stuck her head around the doorjamb and took in the massive pile on his bed. "Did you actually get anything into the bag or are you just planning to use some kind of space age transport machine to zap your whole bed on over to Huntzberger Manor?" She looked around again as if contemplating "Or maybe you have a magic genie in here somewhere who is just going to nod his head and whisk all your worldly possessions away. That would be a great use of a wish in my book. I hate packing."

He felt a little smile coming on despite his sour mood. "Me too. Unfortunately I think the magic carpet is out of service so I'll have to find away to narrow my wardrobe down a little."

"Sounds like a job for the pack master." She said confidently as she strode towards the bed.

He raised an eyebrow but couldn't help the little quirk of a smile "Ace, I never made you for the den mother type."

She rolled her eyes "Clearly you've never experienced the Gilmore method of packing. You see Gilmore's don't believe in packing light. Packing light is for the unimaginative. You have to picture every possible situation that you might have even the teensiest chance of encountering and then pack accordingly; this must always include a swimsuit, an umbrella, an extra toothbrush and at least three pairs of shoes. One never knows when one might break a heel or be caught in a freak snowstorm even if it's June in New Mexico. It never hurts to be prepared." She spoke animatedly as she grabbed shirts and started rolling, into the bag went three sweaters, five shirts, four pairs of jeans, three pairs of shoes and his bag of toiletries in five minutes flat. Then she cast a sideways glance at him "I really hope you're taking notes I'd hate to repeat all this."

He couldn't help but tease back "Is there going to be a test later?" Logan raised an eyebrow and his face took on a comical expression of skepticism. "If so I'm going to call for some amendments to the doctrine because I'm pretty sure I've never broken a heel to my knowledge. Well, except for that one time in Bermuda with Finn but that hardly counts as a normal circumstance."

She rolled her eyes dramatically and yanked out the pair of shoes sticking out the top "Fine. Two pairs of shoes then but I'm not taking responsibility for any calamities that result from your lack of proper footwear and you have to promise never to tell me the story of whatever transpired in Bermuda."

"It's a deal." His lips quirked despite the black mood still threatening like a distant storm cloud. "I'll be sure to make it clear to all in attendance should such a Cinderella moment occur that you, the official packer, had nothing to do with the decision to come unprepared to the ball."

She shook her head in exasperation and the stopped her movements and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the depleted pile on the bed and then poked it with one hand as if perplexed by the situation. "Okay what else?"

"What else?" he parroted still staring at the bag and the vanished mountain of clothes. "That's it."

She looked aghast at this possibility "What about music and snacks and..." her eyes widened as she registered the most offensive missing ingredient "books."

He shook his head at her comically shocked face "Believe it or not Ace some people actually like to just relax on their vacations."

She looked at him blankly "What does that have to do with not taking books?"

He sighed giving up on convincing her of this particular difference of opinion "First off all I hardly need provisions for an army, it's only a thirty minute drive and I hardly think I'll starve in the limo on the way there. I'm not a Gilmore girl after all " he ignore her playful pout at this remark "As for reading material, the Huntzberger Estate is like a bibliophile's Mecca, my father has a entire library at the house that would make the library of congress look like a corner bookshop so I will never be more than a couple hundred feet from literary greatness, I promise."

She looked relieved at this and he couldn't help taking a step closer and wrapping his arms around her waist for a quick kiss. She pulled away slightly flustered after a moment "What was that for?"

He kissed her on the cheek and then gave her a little chuck under the chin "You're cute when you're in Super Rory mode." He looked down at the well-packed bag "Besides I'm feeling a little inadequate after that demonstration of skill so I had to remind you why you keep me around."

She raised an eyebrow suggestively "Don't worry it's hard to forget why I keep you around, you are singularly talented in that particular arena."

His eyebrows went up, a brazen Rory was something out of the ordinary. Then he saw the tiny sparkle of laughter in her eyes and he got it. He gave a mournful sigh "I see. All I am to you is an Espresso Cart."

She patted him on the cheek and smiled brilliantly "Hey it's not just every Tom, Dick and Harry that gets to be a Gilmore girl's coffee man. It's a little like being made king."

He pondered this honor for a moment "Are we talking King of England here or say Pharaoh of Egypt?"

Rory looked insulted "Here we offer you a place of honor in our kingdom and you scoff at it? We don't just crown any old guy we meet you know...we have standards."

Logan rolled his eyes "Come to think of it I think I would prefer to be a Brit. All the pomp and circumstance with none of the responsibility. I'm thinking being the one to blame in a universe run by you and your mother wouldn't be the wisest position to be in."

She just rolled her eyes at him expressively.

He waved at the bag "Well, now that the packing is done I guess I'm all yours. What do you want to do tonight, being as it is our last night of freedom before the holiday festivities commence?"

She gave him an odd look but then began to fish around in her pocket with a concentrated look "Well, I had a few ideas, so I made a list."

He nodded solemnly "Of course you did."

She gave him a little glare "Hey, I will have you and my mother know, there is nothing wrong with planning things out ahead of time and being organized."

"Sure Melvin whatever you say."

She pulled the list out of her pocket and narrowed her eyes at him as she unfolded the scrap of paper. "Let's see, cross off Seduce Logan...after that last comment it would be like fraternizing with the enemy and that's clearly against the rules of engagement."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and took a step forward "Come on now breaking the rules is half the fun."

She sniffed and held the list up between them with an officious look and began to read "Pack. Check. Study for final. Check. Take final. Check..."

"Very thorough." He raised an eyebrow and tried to look at the list over the top of her hands "You didn't put drink coffee on the list? That seems like a glaring omission."

She shook her head seriously "Gilmore short hand. The coffee part is implied. Never has to be noted, it would waste too much space in the date book."

He nodded knowingly as if this were perfectly logical "Makes sense." He craned his neck as if trying to look at the slip of paper to which she responded by clasping it to her chest haughtily "So is there anything about having dinner with your leading man?"

She consulted the list and looked thoughtful "Well there is something on here about Johnny Depp, could be dinner, as yet to be determined."

Logan raised a skeptical eyebrow but otherwise ignored the comment. "So, the usual?"

She cocked her head to one side again and considered, then shook her head slowly "Too early for dinner, caffeine level is topped off and still holding, I promised my mom I'd have dessert with her tonight when I get home... what does that leave?'

His lips curved in a salacious smirk and he reached out a hand and glided it down the back of her hair to her neck where he pulled gently to bring her lips to his. His voice was soft and warm against her mouth "You know Ace there is always another kind of dessert that we could partake in."

She felt her heart give a traitorous leap and looked up at him with limpid eyes that hinted at capitulation. Their lips met and their tongues dueled for a long moment where Logan felt the heady soar of his spirit from the depths in which he had been mired for the last hours. It was hard to be too down on the world when you were in presence of such insatiable effervescence.

Rory finally pulled back slightly and her lips quirked "Tempting as that offer is I have another idea."

He clasped his hands around her waist and cocked his head "A better idea than spending a lazy afternoon in bed with me? Now you've got my curiosity up. So what is this brainstorm of yours?"

Her smile went mischievous at the edges and she backed up slightly breaking his grip around her and then backed towards the still open door. "Too hard to explain, I'll just show you."

She vanished around the door jamb just as his forehead wrinkled in mystification. She was up to something that was for sure. Her voice carried from the other side of the door just as her head popped back into view. "I think this plan of mine has great merit. Not only is it entertaining but it is also the Gilmore cure for a bad mood."

He gave her a suspicious look "Is this something like the hair of the dog that bit you adage?"

She grinned as she came fully into view and his eyes were averted instantly from the wicked dance in her eyes to the two clumps of packed snow that sat in her now gloved hands. Before he could so much as blink or react one of them smacked him dead in the chest and the other managed to smash into the top of his shoulder and dribble icy remnants down his neck. He gaped in shock and Rory's eyes widened instantly with glee before she took off running.

He stared at the melting remnants of the first missile in pure astonishment for a split second and they his own lips curled into an evil smile as he took off after her shouting as he went. "You better run Gilmore because when I catch you there is going to be hell to pay. No one ambushes a Huntzberger and lives to tell the tale."

He had just burst through the still half open entrance when the second lobbed missile hit above his head with a loud thwack and a rain of icy crystals cascaded down from above showering his neck and head with their tiny pinpricks of artic chill. He saw a dart of movement across the courtyard and picked out his prey. He smiled wickedly now as he bent to scoop a small mountain of fresh snow, warming to the game. "This is war Gilmore."

Her voice carried from somewhere off to his left "War seems a bit uncivilized for a few little snowballs."

He shook his head sadly as he formed another ball of snow and stood slowly surveying the territory with a critical eye. His tone was conversational "You started it and not even in a sporting manner. Guerilla warfare, that's what that was, an ambuscade in my own bedroom, as truly dastardly deed. Now you'll have to pay the price."

He stood and lobbed a quick missile in her direction after one sailed from her direction but missed him by a good two feet "I think you need to work on your aim Ace. You're never going to win this battle if the only way you can hit me is if you are in point blank range. Why don't you just surrender now before this gets ugly."?

"Keep dreaming Huntzberger." came the gleeful answer carrying across the mounds of blinding white. "Gilmore's never lose a war."

He grinned, wide and evil, as another snowball splatted harmlessly into the stone archway behind him "Just don't say I didn't warn you. Didn't you ever hear the story about the big bad wolf and little red riding hood?"

There was a laugh and then a dart of movement from the corner of his eye. ""My mom's version ended with the wolf succumbing to little red riding hood's undeniable charm."

He let sail a monster snow ball and heard the tiny thud of impact and a little shriek as the chilled droplets hit his target. He smiled. "Guess your mom left out the part about the wolf coming back for dinner when it realized it had been tricked."

There was a flurry of snowballs thrown with much laughter and shrieking as Logan crept stealthily closer to where he had last seen the blue puffball disappear behind a stone column.

Then she came into view conveniently facing the other way, peering around a rather large shrub in search of his elusive form. He chuckled silently to himself before he nailed her dead in the back with a large snowball and then ducked behind a big stone column again.

Rory turned just in time to get nailed in the stomach with a snowball and gave a little playful growl "That's it Huntzberger, no more Miss Nice Rory, you're going to get it."

Logan taunted her from his hiding spot "Sure, right, I'm shaking in my boots, Come on Ace, I've seen you throw, my four year old cousin has a better chance of hitting me."

She was off and running scooping up snow as she went "Oh yeah, well, it doesn't take much aim if you are right next to the person now does it?"

He walked out from behind the stone wall with his arms held wide "Tell you what, I'll give you a free shot just so I don't feel so bad when I pummel you. How's that for sportsmanship."

She took the offer at face value and lobbed a big snow clump at him, which he neatly sidestepped. She glared and advanced on Logan trying to look menacing, but failing utterly and ending up more on the side of adorable. Like an angry chipmunk or a squirrel with a grudge. The truth was she was as bad a shot as he claimed but it galled her a little that he felt the need to bring it up.

They circled each other cautiously and he nailed her with another snowball, he managed to duck her next throw and she grabbed another handful of snow and inched closer to him. She swatted it his direction and this time she managed more by accident than design to smack him in the shoulder.

Logan nonchalantly brushed the snow off his shoulder and then gave her a playful smirk, "Come over here and do that again Ace, I dare you." The last words were said in a taunting lilt and she felt herself inching closer. She managed to barely avoid the next shot from him but wasn't so luck y with the large pile of snow he dumped on her head as he danced past.

She shivered as the ice-cold shards hit her warm skin at the back of her neck. "That was a cheap shot." She said with a pout.

He smiled a few feet away knees bent in the agile stance of a tennis player ready to dodge the next shot. "Cheap shot? That's rich coming from the original Brutus. I can't believe you bushwhacked me in my own room."

She shrugged nonchalantly "At least you're not in Grumpy Gus mode anymore. I count it a mission accomplished."

He narrowed his eyes and stealthily glanced at the snowy mounds behind her. He circled slightly to his left as he talked and she moved in sync away from him just as he had intended. "You might be right but I'm sure you won't be too surprised when I do this. All's fair in love and war."

He lowered his shoulder and ran at her catching her over his shoulder and toppling her.

She felt her mouth go round in an O of surprise as she fell. Her body in free fall for a brief second in time. Then she hit and the landing was a great deal softer than expected as she fell into a soft deep drift of newly fallen snow. Logan laid half on top of her laughing as she tried to catch her breath. He managed to gasp out between wheezes of laughter "God, you should have seen your face, that was hilarious. You look just like Wiley Coyote when he gets thrown off a cliff."

She pushed at him ineffectually unable to budge his heavier weight from on top of her as he shook with laughter. She tried for a sulky look but couldn't quite contain her rebellious lips that wanted to grin and laugh with him. Logan's warm cocoa eyes cavorted with glee as he finally slowed his laughter to a mere chuckle and leaned down to whisper in her ear his breath steamy against her iced flesh "So you think you've learned your lesson? Or do I have to teach you some more consequences of war with a Huntzberger?"

She widened her eyes in mock consternation and pulled her hands up from their warm cave between their bodies holding them out in a gesture of surrender, she tried for a solicitous tone "I say we call a truce."

He smirked as he nipped her lips with is teeth and made her shiver from a sensation that had nothing to do with the icy blanket of snow enfolding them. "I always knew you could come around to my superior wisdom. Now all I need is a formal apology and you will get your reprieve. After all my pride has been injured."

She rolled her eyes and held out her arms in an expansive gesture "I surrender. You win. You are the master of the snow and I am but your humble acolyte."

He nodded and smiled down at her as his lips descended. He whispered against her lips "Music to my ears dear apprentice and a kiss to seal the surrender."

Logan felt the shudder of something deep inside him as their lips met and the laughter died. There was a flooding pleasure that over took him as their tongues danced and their bodies melded together in their ice cocoon. He felt his heart race and his breath quicken as he drowned in her warmth. He started to let out a satisfied groan but it quickly turned to a squawk as a shower of ice hit the hot skin of his back.

Rory's triumphant crow of delight rang in his ears as he shot upright and danced a quick jig trying fruitlessly to dislodge the handfuls of snow that Rory had managed to shove down his sweater.

She pushed herself quickly to a standing position and then bent over in laughter at his colorful curses and monkey like cavorting "Oh ...my ...god" she managed between gasps of laughter "talk about funny. What is that some new sort of dance or something?'

Logan narrowed his eyes at her. "You are into living dangerously today aren't you Gilmore."

She gave a little shrug as it if to say 'what can you do' "I told you that Gilmore girls never lose. I never claimed we played fair."

He eyed her for a moment considering the wisdom of continuing this little contest; her hair was disheveled and was still covered in tiny crystals of snow that glittered like diamonds. Her cheeks were rosy with the cold and those deep blue eyes looked soft and warm as a Caribbean sea lapping softly at the shore as they danced merrily with her joy at her triumph. He found suddenly that he felt ten pounds lighter than he had only an hour before. He felt happy and carefree and he had her to thank. Maybe winning wasn't all that important this time. Of course she didn't need to know that.

He smiled benevolently as he shook the last remnants of snow from his shoulders. "Tell you what Ace. Lets call it a draw. Lucky for you I have a soft spot for pretty girls with rosy cheeks so this time I'll let you off easy. "

She rolled her eyes at his exaggerated tone of condescending good will, as if he were doing her a favor but secretly she was relieved that the unhappy shadow had lifted from his eyes and the slight worried crease in his forehead had relaxed back into his usually smirking countenance. She stepped forward assured now of a peaceful reunion and laid a hand on his cheek smiling up at him. She said what came to her tongue naturally as she watched his eyes crinkle at the corners with humor. "Now there's the Logan Huntzberger I love. "

She jerked with recognition the second the words had left her lips. Had she just said she loved him? Out loud? For something that had seemed so natural on the tongue that simple little sentence had a pretty strong punch once it hit the air between them. Upon reflection much much later after the shock had worn off and her heart had started to beat again she wasn't sure whether she could say who was more surprised by the declaration.

There was a beat of what seemed like echoing silence. She blinked sapphire eyes gone wide; he blinked back, for once at a loss for the words.

Logan felt like he had been slammed flat in the chest with a sledgehammer at those simple little words. Words had always been his forte, his art form. He'd learned early, at his father's knee the skill of a consummate wordsmith. The power that could be held and wielded with the right manner could string together syllables into more that the simple sum of their parts. In the face of anger, fear, danger, happiness and all manner of unanticipated circumstances words poured their healing balm into wounds or soothed the beast within or calmed the trepidations of those wiser than he. He stretched them, molded them, and used them as both weapon and olive branch. They were the one constant that he could always fall back on when things seemed uncertain. Words were the one thing that never failed him.

Except now...when a girl had said such important and clearly unpracticed syllables and he stood mum as if his muse had gone mute and left him floundering in unprecedented speechlessness. He'd contemplated the idea of the words many times yet hadn't anticipated the powerful wallop of their echo. He was quite certain that if a stranger happened upon them still gasping and blinking like beached carp and asked his name he would have been without an answer to that or any other pressing question.

They were frozen in this tableau for a split second that felt like an eternity and then his mouth was opening in reply and even he was unsure of what words would fall from that strangely uncooperative tongue but knowing that something had to be said to break the silence that had stretched just beyond the edge of acceptable.

Fortuitously Rory's cell phone chose that exact moment to give a loud attention getting chirp and the seeds of his incipient sentence were left unsown and he was perhaps saved from severe lapsus linguae. He took a belated calming breath as the sound seemed to echo in their frozen world and they were released simultaneously from the spell that had held them in suspended animation.

Rory stepped back from him and averted her eyes quickly as she dug in her pocket and came up with the small white phone. She opened it and self consciously pushed a straggling strand of wet hair behind her other ear as she greeted the caller.

There was a moment of silence where Logan could see she was listening to a rambling commentary and then she smiled wryly and spoke. "Don't worry Sookie. I'll be there."

She nodded again as if agreeing with the unseen speaker "No, don't worry I won't tell her. See you a the house."

She flipped the phone closed and was suddenly all business as she stuffed it back in her pocket and looked at him as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Her voice was calm and belied the slight flush that still stained her cheeks. "Change in plans, I'll have to take a rain check on dinner, I have an intervention to go to."

He quirked his eyebrow in confusion but she was already spinning on her hell and walking with a quick purposeful stride back towards his dorm. It took him a second to gather his thoughts and then he was tramping after her.

He caught her arm as she reached the top step and reached for the door. "Wait, Rory, I..."

She turned back towards him with a politely expectant face that he knew was all a facade. He felt like he was experiencing de ja vu because he'd seen this act before. She was upset and she was hiding it behind her cold mask of cordiality. He suddenly felt like they had taken a huge leap backwards to a time weeks before when she still used this exact look as a barrier to keep him at arms length. He cursed himself silently as he considered the options. Obviously she was determined to answer the summons of whoever had called and just as determined to leave him behind and he was going to need a bit of time to extricate himself from the hole he had dug himself. He made a split second decision. "I'm driving."

She looked shocked "What? Where?"

"Wherever you are going, I'm driving." He paused "Well actually Frank is driving."

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion "Who is Frank?" then she waved a hand impatiently "No, wait, it doesn't matter. You're not going with me to Stars Hollow, you have to go home. You said you had..." his finger on her lips stopped her rambling.

His eyes spoke volumes as he leaned forward as if imparting a great secret "Don't argue Ace, Gilmore girl or not this is a battle you can't win." He swung open the door and strode briskly towards his dorm room as she stared after him wondering what exactly they were going to talk about all the way to Stars Hollow to avoid the real subject that she had no intention of discussing while her heart was still getting over it's shock.

She imagined it was going to feel a little like riding in a car with a giant pink elephant. Oh goody. She sighed and followed Logan into the dorm feeling like was a giant Rory sized helium balloon that was sinking low with all its buoyancy lost.

The Gilmore love curse had struck again it seemed and now a good day had gone so very wrong with just a few innocent words. She only hoped her mom and Luke had better luck.


	50. The Writing on the Wall

Lorelai slammed the jeep door with a halfhearted attempt at ill temper.

She felt it really wasn't up to the standards of her best work but couldn't really muster the angst to give it the oomph that a good fit of pique required. It simply took too much energy to rage at the world when the real target of your ire was yourself.

The anger that had flamed white hot and fueled her through the day had burned itself out and nothing but the embers of self-recrimination remained to impart a paltry warmth to her tired body. She was a corpse, a mere shell of her former self, drained of energy, life force, anger, desire, need. She would have made the screwed up dead folks on Six Feet Under look down right cheery in comparison.

All that was left was the overwhelming urge to cry, to stand alone with only the snow cloaked branches of the once naked trees as company and spill out all the jagged pieces of her pain like a lone wolf howling at the pale white face of the man in the moon. He had always been a sympathetic ear when the ranks of the empathetic were sparse.

Of course she knew better. She was Lorelai Gilmore. Tears seldom assuaged the calamities in Lorelai Gilmore's world. Crying never cleaned the slate it just made the words get all smeary, it rarely brought clarity or answers but rather left a path of muddy questions in its wake. All a good bout of weeping had ever earned her was puffy red eyes, a throbbing head and little trip into the not so pleasant past that left her feeling like she was sixteen again with her world spinning out of control around her and her foundations crumbling bit by bit beneath her as the stones fell to the lapping dark waters of grief and guilt.

No...crying never solved anything. All she was managing to accomplish out here in the dark was the imminent loss of her baby toe and she'd regret that tomorrow, as the little piggy that went to market had always been one of her favorites. There were certainly better ways to go than frozen to death like a giant popsicle even though she would make a very tasty popsicle, coffee flavored of course.

She pushed herself into sluggish motion with her eyes on one target. She trudged doggedly towards the refuge of hearth and home blind to the ethereal snowflakes whirling past her cheeks with a dancer's grace to take their place in the soft silent congregations at her feet.

She had one goal. Hibernation. Inside her cave in her rattiest sweats, cocooned in the big comfy afghan and ensconced on the perfectly squished couch with comfort food and coffee and a remote control she felt she could fight off even the barbarian hordes if need be and with a little help from the pizza man she figured she could wait it out until spring if necessary. Surely by then the town would have moved on to a new victim and left her to sulk in private.

She shut the door against the insistent flurries and leaned heavily against it, as if insuring the world stayed safely locked on the other side of its wooden weight. When she roused herself enough to venture further into the living room it was only to stop a few steps from the windows and gaze out at winter draped in it's loveliest snowy finery like an elegant bride beautifully festooned in streamers of white for her walk down the aisle. Dreams were spun and promises made on nights like this with lovers warm and cozy in each other's arms, tucked into the house by all those alabaster pillows of fresh snow like a giant inside out goose down comforter. It was the kind of night that begged for chestnuts roasting on crackling fires, Jimmy Stewart revelations and warm eggnog liberally laced with rum.

Her heart sank as she turned back towards the dimly lit interior of her silent living room and she felt with a weighty sense of pity that she was the butt of a very nasty joke and even her old friend snow was in on the punch line.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes in dejection before straightening her shoulders. Okay, time to get a grip. Yes, it had been a bad day... a very bad day, Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo bad and she might be down for the count in this round... that didn't mean she was beaten for good. She'd gotten through days worse than this with her spirit a bit more cracked and showing a few more scars but still intact and this one would be no different. It was time to pull out the old standbys and get down to a good wallowing. She nodded emphatically in agreement with her own inner monologue.

In Lorelai's admittedly slightly off balance world there was a long list of cures for a bad day, but three options usually topped the list... Luke's version of a happy meal (coffee with a side of cheeseburger, fries and pie), a good roll in the proverbial hay...minus the pokey bits of dried weeds better suited to Mr. Ed than a romantic interlude or a night of maudlin/ comedic British TV shows.

Since the first two were out of the running for best-unmentioned reasons she decided that the third was just what she needed to kick her out of her bad day funk. A little Black Adder, some Ab Fab, a dash of Coupling and smidgeon of Two Pints and what you got was a recipe for guaranteed entertainment no matter how black your mood. Now if things got really desperate you could always dig into the emergency contingency plan and break out some Red Dwarf and High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman but that was only to be considered when desperate measures were called for. Another glance at the snowy wonderland outside the window convinced her that desperate measures were just what the weatherman ordered.

In an act of defiance against sentimentality she chose mallomars, coffee and revelations of the long dead variety. Avoidance and distraction had always been one of her best-honed talents and a little conspiracy of weather and loneliness wasn't going to derail her that easily, She was no teary-eyed schoolgirl. She'd had her share of heart break and disappointment and she'd learned long ago how to turn down the volume on self-blame and regret.

She plopped down on the couch and wiggled down into the cushion ideally shaped to fit her body and flipped on the DVD player. The credits rolled and she munched a mallomar but her thoughts were tuning out the music and focusing on the root of her bad mood. She'd seen the look in Luke's eyes this morning. She had felt the distance between despite their physical proximity. She'd seen the writing on the wall and it was a big old F for failure. Yes, she'd failed the test again, come up with a big old fat zero in the game of love. So what? She thought defiantly, so she would be an old maid, live in a shoe, have 18 cats, collect something kitschy like salt and pepper shakers and take up crocheting, it was time she just accepted that some people just weren't the marrying kind. What was the use beating herself bloody over spilled milk? Maybe she was lactose intolerant anyway and she should just find a substitute.

Time to let it go.

Move on.

Wipe the slate clean.

Turn over a new leaf.

Start on a fresh page.

Get out the purple hat and embrace La Dolce Vita.

She could give Diane Lane a run for her money. Move to Tuscany and buy a run down villa just for the hell of it and find herself a hot Italian lover and maybe even learn to cook. Okay, okay perhaps she was getting a bit carried away with the idea of the thing. Cooking had always sounded a lot better in theory and she'd often found the reality messy and unpalatable. She'd just get her self a hot Italian lover who could cook... the best of both worlds. Much better plan.

It was a good pep talk; just the right note of acceptance and encouragement without sounding like something Dr. Laura would spout to her disciples.

Too bad that she was her own worse audience and had stopped listening to herself back somewhere around the leaf or the slate or some such prosaic nonsense. She closed her eyes in submission, effectively blotting out the TV show that she had stopped watching shortly after the opening credits. She pushed the stop button on the remote with rather more vehemence than was strictly necessary.

She chewed contemplatively on another mallomar as she surveyed the living room as if looking for searching for movement or life in the empty, depressingly silent space. The memories were all around her pressing in and she shivered slightly at their presence.

"I see ghosts." She whispered to herself in a passable creepy frightened voice.

She shook her head sharply. She refused to be a one-woman advertisement for Thorazine. "Maybe I should just call the Ghostbusters and get it over with."

She clambered to her feet and paced into the kitchen on stockinged feet. She poured herself another cup of coffee and then stalked forward and yanked the fridge open. Moments passed as she stared listlessly into its nearly barren shelves. Not even the half eaten pizza or the frozen snickers bars stirred her interest; she shivered a little and then closed the door huffily. Things were even worse than she'd expected. It was a dark, dark day indeed when Lorelai Gilmore's vaunted appetite even deserted her. She slumped there with her back to the refrigerator for a few moments before she stood resolutely to her feet and squared her shoulders.

Fine. If that was the way her damn guilt complex wanted to play this game she would play. She might be many things that most people would consider uncomplimentary. She was impetuous, she had a stubborn streak a mile wide and she was often accused of being sarcastic, something she rather took as a large feather in her cap even though she was quite sure the comment wasn't intended that way, but it was a matter of pride that no one would think Lorelai Gilmore a coward and she wasn't about to change that now. She wasn't afraid of a few little ghosts that went bump in the night. She didn't need men with unlicensed nuclear accelerators tied to their backs or knowledge of quantum physics. These were her on personal ghosts and she was going fight them one on one, mano a mano.

She stuffed her feet into her yellow rubber fisherman boots, shrugged into a winter coat, and wrapped a fluffy scarf around her neck before she paused. She knew just the accessory to top this outfit off right. She turned resolutely towards the hall closet, refuge for all lost and forgotten clothing and dug until she found a hat left over from Taylor's last misguided notion of staging a Shakespeare in the park series in the town square. It had four rather comical points with bells on them and was just the right shade of royal purple. Just the thing the battle called for. Two could play at this game. She stormed out the recently closed door in search of illusive peace of mind.

She was drawn inevitably and inexorably to the hulking shape that called her attention. Her very own personal incarnation of the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. She wrenched open the garage door that still stood slightly ajar from it's morning plundering. Then she found herself at a loss for engagement tactics.

Having gone this far she was unsure of her next step. She needed a moment to plan a strategy she rationalized as she took an absentminded sip of coffee strong enough to strip the paint from the much-neglected walls as she stared into the stygian darkness of the void and she contemplated the fickle nature of inanimate things.

She closed her eyes as the coffee heated what it could of her insides leaving only that icy lump in her gut that had been growing of late into something ugly and impossible to ignore. She didn't like guilt or grief or their sequelae. They tended to screw up her life royally and make her do stupid things.

She reached out and flipped on the light in a burst of pique as if to dispel the shadows of emotions that resided here but that only seemed to make the sting sharper as she stared at the outline of sawdust that remained in the garage like crime scene tape effectively outlining the shape of the body that had once occupied the space. She glared as if the dust motes themselves were to blame for this nonsensical ache in her throat.

It was just a stupid little boat after all. ...Not even a boat really, just a few scraps of un-seaworthy wood with illusions of grandeur.

She should be thanking Luke for moving it. She should be glad that it was sitting in front of Luke's diner rather than taking up space in her garage. Glad to be rid of its hulking brown shape. She had no use for it, she wasn't a boat person, she was a good solid land under your feet kind of gal and as far as she could see she had the right idea. She'd learned her lesson from history. She didn't need a treacherous mode of transportation that could play both savior and destroyer in equal part. Yes, Noah had his Ark and that had sounded all miraculous in the moment, certainly she would be the first to admit there were some adventures to be had on such crafts as the Hispaniola, the Nautilus or Huck Finn's trusty raft. It might even be argued that she might not have a nice little garage in Connecticut to be lamenting so if it had not been for the Mayflower but look what happened to those blokes on the Titanic and the Lusitania.

She had plenty of well-earned baggage of her own without taking on another irrational attachment to an inanimate but somehow sentimental thing. She should have known not to get involved. She should have known not to get attached. She shouldn't care that it was gone.

Lorelai slumped dejectedly against the rough wood of the entrance to the garage allowing the solidly constructed if somewhat dilapidated structure to carry the brunt of her weight.

The rationalizations sounded so good in her head but admittedly there were a few problems with the thought process. One, she was completely incapable of not getting involved. That poor lonely abandoned boat had all but shouted her name and she could no more have turned her back on that then she could have kicked a sad eyed puppy. It would have been barbaric.

She'd known the boat was important to Luke, known even when he'd railed at her for interfering that he couldn't abandon it any more than he could abandon his father's hardware store with it's nostalgic knick knacks and outdated decorating scheme, it had as key a place in his heart as did their quaint town that he gruffly professed to hate on a regular basis but never failed to rescue when it needed a handyman or a hero.

It belonged in his life as much as the bickering with Taylor, the exasperation with Kirk and the constant harangues to her about the evils of coffee and grease. Its existence had shaped him. Its stewardship had been his homage to his father's memory. It had meant something more to him than a bunch of boards and nails and marine paint and so she realized, it had come to mean something to her. It had been a work, if not of art, at least of love and it's absence left more than an empty garage.

She had grown fond of its somewhat misshapen silhouette and it's jaunty prow, come to think of it as a friend who belonged there. She'd adopted it as she adopted so many stray beings into her life and her home. Who was she kidding? She always got attached.

And now it was gone, kidnapped in the dark of predawn morning and dragged from her warm garage to reside cold and shivering in front of the diner like a giant billboard that read **Luke and Lorelai are over** with a nice little post script in neon and lights that said...**forever**.

As long as it had been in it's customary place she had been able, despite the creep of time and separation, to believe that this was a temporary thing, that it was simply a break and not a break up, an intermission in the play and that soon enough the chime would ring and the players would return to the stage and take up where they left off in their story.

Now it was looking distinctly like the intermission had become a showstopper. This thought left an empty gnawing hole in her chest, a funny sting at the backs of her eyes and a lump in her throat as big as a walnut that not even coffee, the eternal panacea, could soothe.

That thought brought her attention back to the sluggishly steaming cup clutched to the center of her chest in a vain attempt to ward off the tendrils of icy damp December night that coalesced at her back.

It wasn't her usual role, that of the penitent sinner. She didn't do repentance well, nor did she carry in her soul any misplaced need to number contrition and atonement among her many hard won skills. Yet here she stood, staring into empty space as much to remind herself what had been lost as to contemplate what was to be won with brave action.

She was tired, so tired. Defeated, exhausted, bone weary. She was tired of coffee at Westin's with a group of scary regulars who she suspected might have escaped from a fifties sitcom of small-town life and wouldn't recognize a good Who's on First bit if their life's depended on it. Sarcasm was so hopelessly lost on them that she didn't even have the heart to insult the servers. She was worn down by dinners that were simply about eating without the side dishes of enlivening discourse. Strangely enough she'd found that even ingestion of artery clogging grease and adrenaline inducing caffeine lacked a certain flavor without a nice exchange of pithy one-liners for dessert. And dessert, she didn't even want to think about dessert and the travesty of pathos that ritual had become.

She was tired of it all. Tired of pretending that everything was okay, when she doubted that anything would ever be again. She was exhausted from her own futile attempts to forget that had her planning extravagant Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas decorations that would have put even Emily Gilmore to shame.

The whole take it a day at a time thing had been working for her, or at least she had convinced herself it was working until tonight, when all the music had stopped and she was left alone, in this dark sad attempt at a recreation of her life, as she had known it. Only it wasn't as she had known it, her pretty little world lay in pieces around her because she had forgotten the cardinal rule of puzzle solving and lost that one key corner piece upon which the rest of the picture was built. Without it, without Luke the rest of the images were just a jumble that made no sense.

She was tired, so tired of dragging around more baggage that Louis Vuitton himself with no destination but what seemed to be the road to ruin for her and all who had the misfortune to share her travels. Where was the detour, the exit ramp, the freeway back to life? She was alone and she hated it, she was depressed and she detested herself for the weakness. She wondered what it would take to fix her this time and doubted deep inside that world had enough superglue and duct tape to put her back to right.

Mired in melancholia Lorelai nearly jumped out of her ice laden boots when she was shocked out of her internal diatribe by a soft voice at her shoulder. "It looks so..."

Lorelai recognized the voice and let out her initial sharp inhale on a sigh as she nodded knowingly "Empty is the word I think you're looking for."

Sookie put a comforting hand on her shoulder "I was going to say sad and in need of a makeover."

Lorelai's lips quirked in a half smile "Gee Sook don't sugar coat the truth on my account."

Sookie rolled her eyes "I meant the garage although just for that I might sick the Mary Kay lady on you next time she comes to call in her pink Cadillac."

"Funny, you're a funny. A little too funny for someone who is going to have a hit taken out on her immediately with a guy named Lou Fingers." Lorelai threatened blandly before changing the topic. " So tell me Sookie, what the bloody hell are you doing out here sneaking up on people in the middle of the night? We should put one of those little bells on you like Babette got for Apricot just so you don't go around killing birds or giving your friends heart attacks."

Sookie shook her head in disbelief "Look Miss Daisy it's only nine o'clock. I hardly think that counts as the middle of the night unless you are a three year old." She paused to replay Lorelai's word and then gave her shoulder a concerned pat as her eyes widened "Oh dear, you've already been into the Brits haven't you, it looks like we got here just in time. " Sookie eyed her friend's strange outfit and tired eyes "Just in time indeed, I'm thinking you are the one who needs a makeover. What's with the hat? You planning on leaving town as part of a traveling circus? Maybe join that old lady's club that always has tea at Westin's on Tuesdays?"

"The hat is symbolic and pretty... only regrettably not so good at keeping my ears warm. Pretty soon maybe they'll just fall off and then that whole circus idea might have some merit, I'll be the Amazing Lorelai earless coffee drinker extraordinaire.

Sookie wisely ignored the note of self-pity "You know you could go back inside where they have this new fangled thing called heat."

Lorelai shrugged and looked defiantly back at the empty garage "Nah, I think I'll stay here, I think I'm really starting to get the hang of that whole beating the dead horse thing... harder than it looks at first but now I know the secret. It's all in the wrist action."

Sookie sighed "Yeah, I figured you'd choose the hard way." she stepped up next to her friend to survey the dusty dingy space that somehow seemed smaller and less impressive when it was empty like this. She just hoped their plan would work because it hurt her insides to see her friends in such stupid self-inflicted misery. She stepped into the garage hunting around in the odds and ends stuffed into corners.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow in spite of her self as Sookie poked an old deflated beach ball that had somehow escaped the recent purge. "Sook? What ya doin'?" asked Lorelai in an inquisitive tone.

Sookie gave her a look that implied that she was a few cards short of a full deck. "I'm looking for something to sit on of course, you can't expect a pregnant woman to stand out here in the cold all night fighting gravity."

"Okay, fair enough, but you know you could take your own advice, head on back to your own nice warm house and cuddle up with Jackson on the couch, or is he only good as a pumpkin patch attendant?"

Sookie giggled but completely ignored Lorelai's suggestion laughing to herself "Pumpkin patch attendant, cute, I think I'll use that one on him next time he threatens to give me yamkins to make my pies with."

Lorelai sighed and pushed herself up off the doorframe and took a reluctant step into the space. "So I take the silent treatment to mean that you are not going to toddle off to your little gingerbread house and leave me here to revel in my regrets, plan my memoirs and generally drown myself in self pity?" it wasn't a question.

"Will you go inside?"

"No."

"Well then it looks like we'll be practicing to be Eskimos together. We are partners after all. What kind of friend would I be if I let you mourn out here in the cold all alone, without refreshments?"" She had finally located a lawn chair and she opened it with a flourish before returning to the door of the garage where she grabbed a picnic basket that Lorelai had only just noticed and got a firm grip on Lorelai's arm with her other hand as she marched back towards the lone chair.

Lorelai came along willingly after a few steps and few whiffs of whatever was hidden in the basket. "You brought snacks? Well why didn't you lead with that? You know Gilmore's never turn down free food." She took another heady inhale. "Especially if it involves anything with melted cheese and salsa. We having a little fiesta that I don't know about?"

Sookie looked a little surprised at her deduction but covered it well as she plopped down in the lawn chair on one side of the garage. "You're a pretty quick study when it comes to food detection."

"What can I say, I have a grease radar and talent honed by survival instincts. It's probably the main thing that kept Rory and me alive for all these years." She plopped down on the cold cement floor with the tail of her coat as a cushion and looked up at Sookie. "So what brought the cheddar, black bean and green chili nachos...wait, wait, I bet I know... margarita night right?"

Sookie gave her an admiring look "You are good."

Lorelai gave her a little half smile "and you my friend are a creature of habit. I've never quite figured it out but you seem to think that next to the magic risotto the next greatest food for healing a heart and soul is a margarita... not that I'm complaining of course, just never quite got the connection."

Sookie giggled mischievously "Let's just say Spring Break in Cancun and leave it at that shall we."

Lorelai smirked knowingly "Enough said."

Sookie pulled out a plastic glass with a flourish and filled it with greenish liquid that she poured from a plastic jug that she had also extracted from the basket of plenty. Lorelai took it from her and tipped it back for a healthy sip as Sookie pulled out the nachos and set them on top of the basket as a makeshift table "Sorry, I guess in retrospect a picnic and cold margaritas wasn't quite seasonally correct."

Lorelai shrugged "No problem, after a few of these I'll forget all about the fact that my butt has frozen off and be dreaming of wasting away on a nice sandy beach in Margarita Ville."

Lorelai looked around as she grabbed a heaping nacho and bit into it. It was funny but somehow the company and the inane chatter was making the whole place seem less like a graveyard for hopes and dreams and more like just what it was, simply an empty garage. The nachos were fantastic as expected and thankfully warm enough to ward off some of the chill from the drink. Lorelai waved with her fifth nacho at the empty room. "So what now? I mean moping is fun and all but that's only going to get us through a couple of hours before we have to find something better to do, you're no moping marathoner like I am and I don't think you have the stamina to last the night."

Sookie gave her a considering look as if weighing whether or not to voice an opinion "Well, I did have one idea, but I was a little afraid to bring it up.'

Lorelai gave her a narrow look "You were afraid to bring it up? Because I am so terror inspiring and forbidding?"

"Hey, I've heard stories." Sookie said with feeling.

Lorelai contemplated for a moment before shaking her head decisively "Nope... can't think of a single story to such effect, they must all be blatant fabrications."

Sookie's right eyebrow reached impressive heights "The one about Kirk and the rabid squirrel?"

Lorelai bit her lip "Well okay that one might be true, but I still swear the squirrel set me up."

"How about that time with Mrs. Lanahan's cake shaped like a..."

Lorelai cut her off with a wave "It was a completely innocent I swear, a total misunderstanding but if I do say so myself it was hilarious... apparently once you reach 90 you cease to have the ability to find humor in life... nobody told me. I plan on dying when I am eighty nine and three quarters just to be on the safe side."

Sookie held up a hand "Okay, okay. Before we start planning the suicide pact lets get back to the topic at hand shall we?"

"Probably safer."

Sookie patted her comfortingly on the shoulder and had just opened her mouth to elaborate on her idea when a none too happy looking Jackson appeared silhouetted in the open doorway looking like an overworked pack mule. Before Lorelai had time to visually inventory the various odd shaped packages he was carrying he spoke "Hi Lorelai."

She opened her mouth to answer but apparently it was a rhetorical greeting and no answer was expected because he had already turned back to Sookie. "Where do you want them?"

Sookie pointed to the center of the garage and Lorelai's eyebrows rode high in question as Jackson trooped towards the center of the dusty space and began to divest himself of his sundry objects. Lorelai raised an eyebrow "We having an intergalactic kegger I don't know about or did you just bring reinforcements in case I got out of control?"

Any reply was stymied by Kirk's appearance in the space recently vacated by Jackson. He was clearly weighed down by a bucket on each arm that made him look a little like a Gumby figurine.

"Ahoy Matey." He said with a bit of a grunt as he stopped in front of Sookie a bit out of breath. "First mate reporting for duty Captain." He tried for a one armed salute but nearly toppled over with the effort. " Where shall I stow the cargo?"

"Nice feather Kirk." Lorelai said with a smirk.

"Thank you Lorelai. I thought it befitting given the occasion." He said with stiff aplomb.

Sookie pointed towards the cast off pile of bundles that Jackson had left in the center of the room. "Put the paint over there."

Kirk spun away and toddled off "Ay ay captain."

"I think your sailor needs to take a page form Popeye's book and eat a little more spinach." It took her a moment to rip her eyes from the blow up parrot on Kirk's shoulder. "Uh Sookie. Did he say something about paint?" Sookie's smile could only be described as sheepish. "Am I hosting an episode of Extreme Makeover that I don't know about?"

"You could say that I guess."

Lorelai nodded as if struggling to add up the facts and then cocked an eyebrow "And that has what to do with Kirk wearing an eye patch?"

Sookie cleared her throat and looked aggrieved "Yes, well, I think I should have been a bit more specific in my directions for Kirk. He took a bit of creative license with my secret code name."

Lorelai now patted her a bit sympathetically "Kirk needs a creative license just to exist. Besides maybe it was just laundry day and the only thing he had to wear was a yellow slicker and a hat that was probably last worn by Captain Barbosa...with Kirk you just never know. Besides at least the slicker will keep the paint off him, I shudder to remember the time he spilled the orange paint on himself while decorating the town square at Halloween, he swelled up to twice his size and almost gave Jackson's mutant pumpkin a run for its money."

Sookie giggled wickedly "Yeah, do you remember Luke threatening to carve him as a jack-o-lantern and bake a pumpkin pie from his innards?" the laugh died in her throat she realized what she had said and she glanced guiltily at Lorelai who was silent for a beat before cracking an ironic little twist of a smile.

"Yeah... good times." Lorelai patted Sookie's shoulder in a show of camaraderie "Don't worry Sook... you can say his name, I promise not go all Hindenburg and burst into flames. Now... let's get back to the paint."

Sookie smiled again as she trailed Lorelai into the garage. "Well, you see we had this great idea about a makeover for the garage, I thought maybe now that it's empty you could use it as a rec room or something."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow at her "So you want to make over my garage. Make it into a recreation room of some sort? I don't know Sook, I remember what you did to your house after Jackson moved in, I don't think there was a moose head left in the county."

Sookie held up a hand "I promise, no decapitated quadrupeds."

"A rec room huh?" Lorelai looked around the space and then made a square with her hands imitating a pretentious interior designer, "I don't know. I'll have to envision what it will look like; I mean there are important details to consider. Will there be a pool table or a ratty old couch like in That 70's Show? And who will play Fez? A rec room just isn't a rec room without a horny Central American boy. I get to be Jackie though."

"A craft studio then." Said Sookie with a shrug.

"Okay now the crazy is talking. Do I look that close to the edge that you think my inner Monster Stewart is lurking like the Mr. Hyde to my Dr. Jekyll, the Voldemort to my Professor Quirrell if you will?"

Sookie narrowed her eyes and her nostrils flared. "Look Murphy Brown you can use it as a bomb shelter or a back room casino or a yoga studio like Darryl Hannah. I don't care how you use it but damn it this garage is going to be cheerful if I have to tie you to a chair and gag you to do it."

Lorelai widened her eyes to a comic parody of fear "Yikes, talk about inner voices. You channeling Nurse Ratchett there or what? I'm thinking perhaps one too many cuckoos have flown over your nest."

Sookie breathed deep once through her nose and then sighed "I'm sorry, its the hormones. I get a little worked up. It's just that you've been so sad and so gloomy like Eyeore when he lost his tail, I thought you needed a new tail to cheer you up."

"I'd have to cut a tail hole in all my best pants but I suppose I could make it work. Might be rather fetching, start a whole new fashion trend, give new meaning to the phrase chasing tail." Lorelai tried for a cheerful tone but then fell into silences as she surveyed the depressingly dingy space. Maybe a redecorating was just the thing it needed, after all a new outfit usually worked to cheer her up why not try the concept on a garage?

"You don't like the idea." Sookie looked down cast as Lorelai remained silent. "I had such a great plan and it had a code name and everything. I told Jackson we should have just snuck in at night like those people in England do and, then you would have seen it all finished and you would have loved it." She looked on the edge of tears and her voice had turned mournful.

Sookie's forehead crinkled and Lorelai's hands shot up "No, wait, no tears, unless we need more salt for the margaritas I'm going to have to declare this a no tear zone."

Lorelai patted her shoulder with a resigned air "I'm sure it's a great plan Sookie. I'm warming to the idea already. This place could use a little sprucing."

Sookie looked up at her with a hopeful smile "Really? You like the plan?"

Lorelai laughed a little helplessly and patted Sookie's hand "Sure Sookie, what's not to like? We'll make an ugly old duckling into a swan before our eyes. You know I love a painting project. So what did you have in mind?"

"Well we were going for the girl space vibe and they had this really fun color called Pretty in Pink." Sookie smiled a little excitedly as she turned back to Jackson who was busily unfolding a tarp in the middle of the room. "Hey Jackson open the paint so that Lorelai can see it." Jackson smiled indulgently and pulled a screwdriver out of a mysterious pocket in his cargo pants and set to work on the paint lid.

Lorelai was nodding "Pink, okay, I can work with that, feminine but..." she screeched to a halt mid sentence as Jackson pried off the first lid and held it up for her to see the color. Lorelai looked wildly at Sookie "Let me guess. The Magical Kingdom's interior decorators were all you could find on such short notice?"

Sookie gave her hurt puppy dog look but she couldn't quite stop herself "I'm just imagining the protest form the Color Rights Coalition at this abuse of pink."

Sookie looked at the paint and then said in a cheery voice "Don't worry about the pink if you don't like it, we got purple too."

Lorelai's eyes closed in submission. "I think I need another margarita before I can face that one. I still have a few too many functioning rods and cones."

It was worse than she feared and she choked on her last swallow of margarita when the next color was unveiled. "What I wouldn't give to be color blind right now. Since when did you and Rainbow Brite become shopping buddies?"

Sookie narrowed her eyes and enunciated in insulted tones "I was trying to cheer you up."

"Cheer me up or crack me up? You know we could just put big pads on the wall and I'd have my very own personal asylum room. It'd be home away from home."

Sookie huffed and crossed her arms "You're impossible."

Lorelai laughed a little surprised at how the sound suddenly felt a little more natural than it had in weeks. "Okay Sook, I'm sorry. The purple and pink are fine... very... fun...bright. Guess plan B is out though, I don't think I'll be hosting a back room betting parlor anytime soon unless it's run by Strawberry Shortcake and her buddies the Care Bears."

Sookie's eyebrows drew together in confusion "Why would a desert run a gambling den?"

Before Lorelai could even touch that one there was a disgusted snort from behind them and they both craned their necks around to see their newly arrived intruder. Michel regarded them with haughty look. "Not the dessert you idiot, the cartoon, you know this cute little girl with the hat that looks like a big red strawberry." Only Michel could have carried off elegant indignation dressed in overalls that looked so new and starched that she bet they rustled when he walked.

Both Lorelai and Sookie looked at him solemnly for about three seconds before they dissolved into a fit of laughter. Between giggles Lorelai wagged a finger at the now beet red Frenchman "I...can't believe that you know Strawberry Shortcake...next you're going to tell me that Papa Smurf was your idol as a child, no, wait, I bet it was Farmer Smurf."

Lorelai grinned starting to feel that tingly warm relaxation that comes from imbibing one of Sookie's famous margaritas. She waved a lazy hand at him as he huffed "What are you supposed to be anyway John Henry or Howdy Doody? I wasn't aware that this was a costume party."

He looked highly insulted as he glanced down at his pristine overalls. "These are my painting clothes."

Lorelai snapped her fingers and grinned, "I've got it... Yankee Doodle Dandy." She began to sing loudly and off key "Stick a feather in his cap and call it macaroni." She paused as if genius had struck "Wait I've got it, you can borrow Kirk's hat and we can take this show on the road."

"I am done with this conversations with you two imbeciles. I don't know why I even bother." He glared and then spun on his heel and flounced towards the door he stopped only when he had one foot out the door "You have no respect for style and I'll have you know that Papa Smurf is a great role model and you should not make fun of him."

Lorelai called after him "Don't you mean smurf...he is a great smurf." Then she turned to Sookie with a smile still on her face Then she turned to Sookie with a smile still on her face and ticked off the fingers on her right hand as she spoke "So now we've got a coffee drinking court jester, a slightly fashion challenged sea man and a GQ cowboy, I say we chuck the whole joining the circus idea and start our very own carnival right here." She waved a hand at the dingy wall across from them as if picturing the words "I'll call Lorelai's Loony Side Show. We can paint the room in checkerboard style that will have the epileptics seizing, get some of those mirrors that make you look all wiggly, maybe a disco ball...hey, I think I might have one of those in the back of my closet somewhere."

Sookie laughed her eyes twinkling "Glad to see you are getting into the sprit of things. I knew if you thought about it the idea would grow on you."

"Like a wart on a toad. You know I embrace all things that appear on the surface to be sheer lunacy. Kindred spirits have to stick together. I'm liking this idea though, Babette can organize the posse of gnomes as ticket takers, we'll put Patty in charge of the entertainment... although we might have to give her a deadline or the prospective hot boy bands may never escape the auditioning tent you know how she is about performers. I hear that Bugsy is practicing to be a mime and Jackson can display his newest weird fruits and vegetables, like a regular old time fair. Now all we need is a dancing bear or a tiger or a cobra or..."

"You really want a deadly reptile living in your garage?"

Lorelai bit her bottom lip "Good point...well maybe something less lethal... a tight rope walking kitten or a trained monkey dressed like a clown..."

She trailed off as a new group of wanna be Bob Villa's arrived and surveyed the scene in the soon to be carnival space.

Lorelai shook her head with a little raised eyebrow at Sookie, as Taylor was the first to step inside and brace his hands on his hips surveying the scene with obvious displeasure. "It's almost too easy. I wish it and it appears. Give him a hand organ and we're golden."

Sookie clapped her hands gleefully "I bet Jackson can get us a permit for one of those. One of the many perks of being married to Town selectman."

Lorelai crowed in delight "Shameless nepotism... but I'll take it. I say we make him ride a unicycle while plays Bring in the Clowns. It'll be a show stopper."

Sookie gave her a little squeeze on the shoulder and then refilled her margarita glass. "Good to see you back Hun, you had me a little worried there for a while."

"Well I won't say my recovery is complete just yet, but I'm getting there. Nothing like a margarita and a picture of Taylor in a fez with an accordion to help one forget one's misfortunes."

Lorelai raised her glass to hide the smile that still wasn't quite at full force. Truth was she welcomed a bit of inanity and a respite from endless circular conversations with her annoyingly persistent heart but she had a feeling that things weren't quite back to normal just and it might be quite some time before she reached that milepost again.

She sipped thoughtfully on her margarita for a moment longer as she watched Taylor and Jackson in an animated argument stage center that involved a great deal of finger pointing and discussions of color swatches and town regulations. She shook her head a little as she emptied her glass. At last she was past the mist of self-pity and looking clearly at the picture. She was lucky really. For all the zany misfits that called themselves her friends and refused to go away and leave her alone even when she did her best to drive them away. She was lucky she had all those people that she often took for granted in her life and she owed them too much to allow her to shut herself off from their world altogether.

She stared at the mob of misfits that seemed to be escalating into full battle and now were brandishing paint brushes threateningly. The first splatters hit the wall and would have Jackson Pollock proud as they dripped luridly down the wall. And there it was...the writing on that wall again, only this time it said...F as in Fight Back You Idiot!

Lorelai blinked at it was gone but the message was there formed of her own subconscious and imposed on a messy pattern of random color.

She'd been going about this all wrong, in a very non-Lorelai like manner, she'd been letting other people call all the shots, her mother, Luke and Taylor even. It was time she took back the reins and started playing the game by her own rules. She just had to get back in the saddle and figure out how to lasso in the one who got away.

Having decided that her self-imposed isolation period was over she set down her glass and rose to join the debate. Painting wasn't much fun as a spectator sport.


	51. The Dark Reaches

The Blue Love Monkeys were a heck of a lot smarter than the regrettable name might lead one to believe. In fact it seemed they'd nailed one of life's truisms dead on the nose:

Love IS strange.

There was the understatement of the millennium. Right up there with Hitler is just a schoolyard bully and the plague was just a little bug.

Love not only is strange but it does strange things to those it afflicts. It's deceptive in simplicity, it's pretty and shiny like the flashy lure that hides the hook so that by the time the poor little fish knows what is happening it's dangling in the air far from it's normal watery byways. It makes your insides all gooey and warm like a hot fudge brownie hot out of the oven and then turns around and scalds you just as you take that first decadent bite. It draws you in with its soft fuzziness like a bear cub and then bares a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Its the river that looks so deceptively placid and then sucks you into the current and carries you bobbing and spitting over boulders and tree limbs in all manner of heart stopping hairpin turns at breath stealing speed until suddenly you see the DANGER sign as second before you are shot over the edge in a death defying drop. Too late to do save yourself, no going back, no plan B, just you and the suddenly stifling oxygen as unwilling accomplices. There you are for a frozen moment out of time, immobilized aloft, weightless, flying on invisible wings, hanging like the cartoon coyote just waiting for the hungry pool glimmering and swirling far below your cushion of thin air to swallow you whole.

It was all a blur and then everything was still and you were left gasping and breathless and wondering if it was good luck or bad that had you surviving the fall. Bad you decide after a brief recon mission of your new surrounds, it seems the strangeness had only just begun and now you are miles from normal, somewhere over the rainbow with no secret password that would magically return you to the real world.

Feeling just like she had just taken exactly that roller coaster ride, heart still hammering somewhere in the vicinity of her throat, all feeling seeming to cease as it reached her knees and with little clue left how to control her feet Rory did the only thing she could think of... she took a deep breath... and waited. When nothing happened she tried again, sucking in the frigid winter air. Still nothing. Well third times the charm she thought. The third time she inhaled so sharply that she ended up choking on snowflakes.

Okay... so maybe the whole yogic breathing just wasn't her road to tranquility. What else... count to ten or count sheep or drinking water backwards... no wait that was for hiccups.

She grabbed a hold of herself with both mental hands and shook until the world stopped spinning. Okay, she lectured herself, no need to panic, just stick to the facts, take stock of the situation. She was in love with a boy, she had accidentally told said boy about the love thing in the middle of a snowball fight. Said gentleman friend had looked like he might be suffering a minor stroke at the revelation and she had been left twisting helplessly in the wintry wind like a bedraggled shirt forgotten and abandoned on the clothesline after the last laundry day...okay bad, but it could be worse, right?

Rory racked her brains but couldn't think of a situation in which it actually would have been worse.

Back to the deep breathing... it worked for women in labor it should work in the face of stupefaction and surely that's what this was, just a simple case of shock. Where else would you be after the kind of open-heart procedure she had just performed on herself completely without preparation or forethought? Nature had to have some sort of anesthetic for that sort of idiocy or the human race might never have survived long enough to poke its proverbial head out of that darkened cave. After all she no longer doubted that one could surely die of sheer embarrassment or in her case she figured it was horror. Surely it was horror at her own impetuous actions that stilted her movements and had her numbly trailing after her bags as the whirlwind more recently known as Logan marched purposefully before her through the newly fallen drifts of white. It had to be horror that froze her tongue to the roof of her mouth as effectively as a gulp of liquid nitrogen, horror that effectively silenced even her customary ramblings in the face of the unknown. It could only be horror that had her surroundings looking wavery and indistinct like she was watching it all through the watery looking glass of an ocean.

Funny thing was... it didn't have the cold sticky fingers that crawled up your spine, or the acrid taste and the breath-stealing grip of horror.

Anger maybe? She tried this on mentally for size, hardly noticing the gleaming flanks of the limo that rumbled quietly in front of them as it idled at the edge of the parking lot, a warm golden eyed chariot that melted all trace of chill from the air with it's gusts of steamy exhaust. Might have well been a ten speed Schwinn with a banana seat and a streamers in the spokes for all the notice she afforded it's overstated elegance. She felt strangely light and unsubstantial as she floated along in a state of distracted concentration.

She nearly ran into Logan as he stopped at the door of the car and the she could see his mouth moving, his hands gesturing in quick motions that made her dizzy. Introductions were made that registered as a dull roar in her ears. She shook hands mutely with the portly black man in the dark suit so often the uniform of priest, chauffeur or mortician.

She thought his name was Frank and to be honest he looked it... frank that is, his smile was polite but clearly unmoved by her anti-Dorothy Parker impression and his eyes under the shiny black brim of his chauffeur's cap said this wasn't the first time he'd been the captain on such a doomed vessel as theirs. It should have made her angrier still at his assumption that she was yet another foregone conclusion, a pearl on the same string as all the other shiny trophies that the young Mr. Huntzberger took on his assorted adventures. It surprised a strange half grin out of her when she felt not the expected stinging claws of fury but instead the playful tickle of laughter clamoring against her teeth at thoughts of Frank at a funeral wearing that silly chauffeur's cap.

Maybe anger wasn't quite right either. Anger wasn't habitually a close pal of irrational mirth. Anger clenched and knotted...it didn't dance silly jigs on your tongue or have you sending small conspiratorial winks at the poor man forced into audience participation in this crazy little world of theirs. She wondered idly what sort of deranged muse had overtaken her normally cooperative mind but then guessed that perhaps it was only the dregs of hysteria playing their hop scotching games with her psyche.

Frank smiled at her again, this time with something like appreciation just before the heavy door shut with the finality of a mausoleum and they were left alone in tomblike stillness. Rory wondered vaguely if this was what schizophrenia felt like. Your mind and body separate yet one and the same like you body was just along for the ride while your brain was in some other universe entirely.

Not horror, not anger, didn't have that acidic bite of regret, the finely honed talons of fear or the head spinning fell of hysteria. What was it then, this feeling the roiled and rose inside her after an unrequited I love you? Too feather light for disappointment, too sweet for sadness, too soft for guilt.

She accepted the champagne flute without conscious thought, trapped deep in her internal dissection of emotions too murky to name. Maybe she was looking on the entirely wrong spectrum. Could it be that plummeting from the edge of solid ground actually found you not splattered in a million pieces but whole and well on the other side of the looking glass? Could it be that truth really did set you free?

She contemplated her own private version of Golden Pond as the champagne pooled in the glass that had magically appeared in her hand and tiny bubbles floated lazily towards the surface. Maybe she was going about this all wrong. Trying to analyze emotions. She should start at the beginning... the words. Did she mean them?

Yes. The answer came sharply before the question had fully formed.

Okay. She was in love with Logan Huntzberger.

Now what?

The question hung suspended as if shouted into an echo chamber in her mind but no answer came. Well, then she would just wait until it did come, like a thought half remembered that suddenly appeared on the tip of your tongue when you least expect it. She had time. She would wait.

Rory Gilmore loved him.

The thought circled endlessly and with it the memory of being struck mute and dumb by panic. It felt like flying, sprinting, sailing with the wind in your hair and the tang of salt on your lips only to slam into a wall of solid granite, sink to the bottom and somehow mystically be resurrected to do it again and again, and again.

He had to make it stop.

He was a man on a mission. He was Ethan Hunt, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker all rolled into one, unfortunately it was turning out to be a bad day for adventurer and Jedi alike. His mission had become treacherous mid-execution. The objectives had changed unbeknownst to him and suddenly he was staring down into the chasm that had suddenly opened at his feet without his handy repelling equipment, sans bullwhip and damned if his best light saber wasn't tucked away at home of little use to him in the coming fight.

All the tricks in his deep pockets suddenly seemed useless in the face of ego stripping truth and he was left feeling less like Indiana and more like Arthur Dent in designer duds. As if he'd woken up on a random Tuesday to find that the world as he knew it had disintegrated at his feet and he was left to figure out a whole new set of rules to live by.

If only the nearly nonnegotiable land of love had a Hitchiker's Guide. In lieu of that he figured he better figure out a plan of action before that slightly dazed look vanished from the Rory's deceptively docile eyes and was replaced with Logan seeking bullets.

What should he say, what could he say, what combination of words could magically erase those seconds of silence that had ticked by like the count down timer on an explosive?

Rory waited, still floating in that state of suspended animation, taking smaller more measured breaths now and allowing her eyes to wander the confines of their elegant prison. The butter soft leather slid sinuously beneath her caressing hand and the milled walnut paneling was polished to a mirror shine that reflected back the anxious postures of the car's inhabitants. The newly identified Frank, looking wavery and indistinct behind his barrier of smoky glass, put the car in gear and they slid into the gathering twilight as if the big car were riding on greased rails.

Her mind still in neutral she took a long fortifying sip of the chilled liquid and felt the bursting of tiny bubbles like the tickle of elfin fingers on her tongue as the libation slid smoothly down her throat. She idly wondered how it was that she'd come to be here, sipping expensive champagne while riding in a car more suited to Prince Charles than a small town girl from Stars Hollow with the reluctant heir to a multimillion-dollar media empire. True, stranger things had happened in her short life but this one was pretty high on the list. She decided that she felt a little like Bruce Wayne.

She twisted the stem of hand cut crystal in her hand as she contemplated the blonde boy next to her whose own hand curved so comfortably around it's delicate structure.

Logan was a blur of smiling visage and worried chocolate eyes that met hers in the dimly lit interior of the sumptuous car and then skittered away but not before Rory saw the one thing in those amber depths that suddenly had the world snapping sharply back into focus as if the gravity had just been turned back on.

She wasn't Batman...she was in love with Batman and from the look in his eyes it appeared that Batman was scared to death.

This put an entirely new spin on her inner monologue. Rory sipped contemplatively and pictured a far removed Logan Huntzberger. She was remembering the first time she'd run into him so serendipitously. She saw his teasing, taunting brown eyes, the cocky smirk that quirked the corner of what was admittedly a superior mouth, the graceful ego with which he wore the nonsensical combination of smooth designer chic and a tousle of stylishly unkempt blonde hair that said he was simply to hip to waste time on such niceties as a comb. He was beautiful and cold, polished, everything she hated about status, money, privilege and he wore the mantle of power too well to deny his rightful place as the scion of greatness. She found him condescending, irritating, infuriating and intriguing in the very first sentences uttered.

She'd wanted to dislike him, to dismiss him but at every turn he presented her with the unexpected. First the LDB event and then the suspiciously sweet yet self-serving deal wrangled at her grandparent's ill-fated party, the scavenger hunt, the nights of deep dark confessions, the whimsical moments where she saw the sensitive, smart Logan that she guessed that few others were acquainted with. With every word and nuance he was a conundrum, twisting her words and her mind into knots with effortless ease until she didn't know which way was up and she'd forgotten exactly why she'd ever thought he was the enemy. They'd danced those intricate steps, backward, forward, circling until the world outside his arms had seemed to blur into something unfathomable and the only real things were his arms, his lips, his eyes. It was surely a form of insanity so complete that now she'd gone and done the unthinkable... she'd fallen in love with the boy that she had yearned to hate.

He repelled her in the same breath that he drew her in, but draw her in he had and she remembered now suddenly how many times in the last weeks that she had been the one balking at forward motion. He had been the voice of the adventurer and she the skeptic. He had been the one pushing her one reluctant step at a time around the next corner towards the unknown. In the grand scheme he'd probably won more stages of this Tour de Feeling they were on. So, did it really matter so much that she'd burst through the ribbon at the finish line a step ahead of him? Did it really matter who stuck their neck out there first if they were out on the limb together already?

There was the answer she was waiting for, so blinding in its simplicity that Forrest Gump could have chided her for her stupidity.

No. It didn't matter even the slightest bit. Much as it might shock anyone who knew her to here her say it, in the end, words weren't all there was in life. Words could dress up to play the part but actions ruled the stage in a true love story. His words might have failed him but in all fairness she could find no fault with Logan's actions. He was here now despite her instant attempts to push him away at what she perceived as rejection. He was suffering in clear agony over how to make things right when really he hadn't done anything wrong.

Suddenly it seemed humorous, like the plot of some Chekhov play that she should even be in the role of judge and jury when she herself had so often sat at the defendants table. She should trust her heart on this one and tell her brain to shove a sock in it for once.

Logan's mind was spinning faster and faster on that edge of slipping right out of his control and running away with him. He was at war with himself and it was a battle to the death. One half said run away from the girl who threatened his sanity, his carefully built world, his heart, the other half said it was far far too late to run, that he'd been a goner from the instant they'd jumped off a six story building together, maybe sooner, that for better or worse his heart was way past the point of no return and thank god for that this braver half said, wise up it said, grab all that beautiful gleaming hope and love and hold on tight. He was caught in the crosshairs between old habits and new emotions and consequently he sat frozen to his spot and tipped his glass in some vain hope of finding the right words at the bottom of the alcoholic deluge.

He staunchly avoided Rory's eyes and drained the glass as he thought sadly of all the glib inferences of affection that had slipped so easily from his tongue when it least mattered and wondered if he'd used up his lifetime supply. He seemed to have a dearth of words now when he most desired them. He wished almost perversely for the days when Rory had considered him the enemy, across battle lines he was never at a loss for a witty repartee and there they were on equal footing. Here suddenly even surrounded as he was by reminders of his own position he was out of his element, off balance and decidedly at a disadvantage. He had a feeling she was the one who had figured out the Rubik's cube and all the answers were lined up before her in a nice color coordinated pattern while he felt a little like Lloyd Christmas suddenly caught in the hot seat for final Jeopardy.

It seemed he stood ages and ages hence and looked back at that path he had chosen, the instinct that had pushed him into new and unexplored territory and now he wondered... what he should have wondered back then...what happened once you got the Gilmore Girl? He looked up and was transfixed by the look in Rory's sea blue eyes. Logan had rather egotistically relished the role of mentor, teacher, opener of doors and illuminator of new horizons, the master to Rory's apprentice but he felt that his role had suddenly been usurped. The student had become the teacher; the ugly duckling had become the swan and sailed on into the peaceful water leaving him behind, land locked and without a clue as to how to swim in this new sea of emotion. He felt naked without words but it seemed that all the right ones had deserted him en masse and he was left with only combinations that felt all wrong.

Rory stared straight into those warm cocoa eyes and knew two things that she hadn't known mere moments before. She knew one day Logan Huntzberger would show her a part of himself that no one else had ever seen. She also knew that she did not want today to be that day. She didn't want to hear stilted words colored with self-reproach, not now, not like this after the passage of too many tension wracked minutes and the ebbing of the moment of impulsive truth into the moment of pained evident truth. It was too perfect, too unreal, too much the makings of a romance scene in a movie, the warm cozy limo, the champagne, the flurry of softly white that floated magically by outside the tempered glass panes of the black behemoth as it skimmed through the night.

She had to put a stop to this inanity before it lapsed into insanity and she took a page out of the elder Lorelai's well-researched book to do it.

Gilmore Girl rule number 25b: When faced with a crisis ramble aimlessly until you've drug them so far into the illogical maze that they have no idea where they started.

She held Logan's gaze for a long, stretching moment. Then she smiled. Just a curving of lips at first but she let it bloom like a delicate flower opening to the morning sun. It felt good. Then she said the first thing that popped into her mind and came tumbling off her agile tongue.

"Do you have a bat suit?"

Logan had been so focused on practicing his own speech that this abrupt interruption left him blinking and sputtering like a boat motor that was flooded after a too quick turn. His eyebrows drew together and he had to blink again when his perplexed eyes met Rory's intently curious expression. "A what?"

"A bat suit, you know black full body rubber get up that Batman wears." She gestured wither her hands pantomiming a body covering suit and nearly spilling her champagne in the process as he continued to give her a mystified look. She continued in a blandly conversational tone. "I always liked Batman, he was my second favorite of the superheroes, after Clark Kent the man in glasses, you see the cool thing about Batman was that he really wasn't all that super, I mean he wasn't an Incredible or a mutant or a mad scientist with super human strength or some magic talent, he was really just a normal guy who used creativity and ingenuity and well okay a lot of money to make a difference in the world." She tilted her head to one side and considered him as if mentally measuring him for the role of human bat. "You'd make a pretty good Batman actually. I mean you are no Michael Keaton but you could give Val Kilmer a run for his money."

He sputtered at this his mind finally engaging and grinding gears in an attempt to catch up with her rambling chatter "Excuse me?"

She looked askance at him with a raised eyebrow as if shocked by his interruption "If you ask me you have all the qualifications." She held up a hand and ticked off a list "You're rich, you have an unfortunate penchant for blondes, you're a master at that mysterious smile thing, you already have a limo, you are perfection in a tuxedo..." she paused an eyed him with a slight flush to her cheeks and a wicked glimmer in her eyes as if she were savoring the next words "and I'm thinking that if you wore a Bat suit I might have to take up karate to keep the competition away."

This comment wrung another shocked blink from him and he suddenly felt as if a banquet size table had just been turned and he was at a distinct disadvantage in this mysterious game they were playing. His eyebrows drew together. "I thought Gilmore Girls didn't participate in physical activity."

"Protection of property is considered an exception to the rules, that was amendment number 45." She gave him a little sidelong glance and was pleased to see that her distraction technique seemed to be working. He looked completely buffaloed as if perhaps she had just dropped out of the sky and started explaining the expanded rules of Brockian Ultra-Cricket. Her mother would be so proud.

He seemed to be struggling with this newest bit of information. "So now I get to choose between being a grown man who dresses up like a nocturnal flying rodent and is only your second favorite superhero or a time share in Maui?"

"Not what I really meant by property but for the record, I don't' like to share and I'd really prefer a Park Avenue Penthouse. Not everyone can be Superman. Besides, bats are pretty cool actually, you know you shouldn't be insulted, Despite their unfortunate association with Dracula and the strange myth that they are, well...blind as bats, they are actually quite smart, are incredible hunters, have incredible hearing and eyesight, hardly ever have rabies and I don't think they really suck people's blood... most of the time. Not that I ever want to meet a real bat up close and personal but really the whole idea of being a human version of a bat is actually quite flattering.

He gathered his now thoroughly scattered wits as he regarded her with a look that suggested that she had a few screws loose where it mattered most and cast a cursory glance at her champagne glass wondering just how much of the expensive tonic she had managed to imbibe while he was stumbling around in shocked corridors of his brain. Strangely enough her glass was still a quarter of the way full and he could have sworn it was her first. "Have you been watching National Geographic again?"

She gave him a slightly pouty look "It's not my fault. Paris is addicted... she seriously needs a twelve step program or something, the only way to avoid it would be for me to move."

He closed his eyes and allowed a grudging smile to creep over his lips as humor trickled into his voice "So...I'm Batman?"

She finished a last sip of champagne and held it out for more. "Well it was either that or a sexy bad guy but I just didn't think you had the lunacy chops to compete with Jack Nicholson as the Joker or Jim Carrey as the Riddler. Now maybe Finn could give them a run for their money but you have more of that mysterious secret identity thing going for you."

He took a deep sip of his own champagne and then shook his head in wordless chagrin "Thanks... I think. Most of that might almost be a compliment, besides the bit about the blondes which I do have to take exception to given my current company."

"Okay, I'll grant you forbearance on that one. A dispensation of sorts for past lapses in judgment." She grinned and as far as he could tell it was completely without guile, which made him even more suspicious of her motives in this wacky conversation.

After his glaring gaffe earlier he had expected anger, accusations or at the very least heavy silence wrought with unspoken hurt instead he got nonsensical amusing ramblings about movie trivia and giggling glances. If he weren't faced with one of the least scheming females in his acquaintance he would almost have sworn that she was trying to distract him from the Dumbo impersonator in the corner.

He cast a glance at her taking in the slightly wicked smile and reconsidered. Come to think of it he suspected that was exactly what she was up to. He raised his head and his eyes snapped open and then narrowed with obvious accusation. "You changed the subject."

She cocked her head in puzzlement as if he just spoken to her in some foreign language like mumbo-jumbo. "I wasn't aware there was a subject."

He sat upright and pointed his champagne glass at her sternly "Of course there was a subject, and you know exactly what that subject was." He was glaring like a prosecuting attorney with a stubborn witness on the stand now.

She shrugged her shoulders up in an innocent little gesture of helplessness. "Sorry, I thought rules of subject change only applied when one is actually having a conversation. Out loud that is. I don't think that mental arguments with yourself count."

He looked completely nonplussed at this logic but tried again with tenacity born of a guilt-ridden conscience. She had revealed her heart to him and he had dropped it flat in the snow in the worst possible way. He owed her something more than a ride in a limo and some fancy bubbly. "Rory, I..."

She gave a tiny almost imperceptible sigh before she raised her hand still chilled from grasping the icy shoulder of her glass and let it fall lightly on his lips like a butterfly lighting on a leaf. She shook her head slowly all trace of amusement wiped from her limpid eyes and sincerity rang in her tone when she spoke. "Don't Logan. Don't say something that you might regret tomorrow."

"But..." his muffled protestation whispered past her outstretched palm and tickled the sensitive skin there but she didn't laugh. This was serious stuff.

She just shook her head slowly "Trust me Logan, none of the ways that sentence could end are good. Look, what I said...that I ...love you." She nearly tripped over the words but forced them past her suddenly flummoxed tongue with determination "I meant it but it surprised me too. It just sort of slipped out and then there was no taking it back. I never meant for it to be a game of one upmanship though." She looked at him with pleading eyes and he was startled to see something almost apologetic in her sea blue gaze "I'm glad you know even though I'm not sure if you were ready to know. Sometimes it feels like I've known you forever but then I think about how much this past few months have seemed to pass in a flash. It's early still. We have fun together, we open new worlds to each other and I know you care about me. That is enough for now. I don't want you to make promises or hand me pieces of yourself that you aren't ready to let go of out of obligation or guilt. Someday when you say it I want it to be unrehearsed and completely without prompting."

He searched her eyes for doubt, blame, anger, and disappointment and saw nothing but affection. Apparently she meant it and he suddenly felt lighter and giddy with relief. He raised an eyebrow "When?"

She gave him a small smile "What can I say, I'm an eternal optimist." The smile deepened a little "Besides, I have historical precedence on my side, Gilmore's almost always get their guy."

She withdrew her hand and he felt a little clutch in the vicinity of his heart, a heart that he had no doubt in his mind belonged to her, if only he could force those heartfelt words past old barriers built of fear. He tried one last time. "Rory..."

She stopped him with a look "They are just words Logan. They don't matter. Not tonight. You're here, I'm here and we have no schoolwork breathing down our necks like an evil prison warden. We have this fancy car and this extravagant beverage just waiting to be drunk. What do you say we put away the long faces for another day and call this whole night a do over."

He shook his head in amazement and then swallowed the words that were just words but meant so much more than a mere collection of letters. He smiled finally a wry smile of acceptance and lifted the champagne bottle to refill their glasses. Her smile half relief and half triumph bloomed as he set aside the bottle and raised his glass to clink it against hers. "To do overs."

She grinned and tipped her glass before giving him a playful wink "You be Bruce Wayne, I'll be Vicky Vale and we'll pretend that you just saved me from that nasty Joker fellow."

"I think you're more of Chase Meridian type myself. Brainy girl who likes to overanalyze her potential suitors."

She bequeathed him a narrow eyed look "Be careful what you wish for bat boy."

He raised both hands in surrender "I think I'll just shut up now and kiss you."

At her inviting smile he took her now empty champagne glass and set it next to his before doing just as promised. Letting his lips slide over hers still damp with droplets of champagne and felt the weight of worry and guilt lift from his shoulders. She loved him. That realization was still roiling inside him bringing to light whole new realms of unexplored emotion but for now all he wanted was to feel her next to him. Her warmth, her love, her acceptance of him complete with insecurities and imperfections. The world outside the frost glass was forgotten as he sunk into her honey sweet mouth. "Mmmm, I could kiss you forever." His voice was thin and reedy like he'd run too far at too high an altitude.

She pulled back a hairbreadth and chuckled a little breathlessly against his lips "Hope that promise still holds after you meet the residents of the zoo I call home."

Logan just snorted, "I think you're making a big thing out of nothing. I'm with FDR when he said 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself'"

Rory looked skeptical "I'm pretty sure FDR never met Miss Patty."

Logan's old smirk was firmly in place as he raised an eyebrow "We Brigadiers never run from a challenge."

Rory shook her head sadly "Said Jonah to the Whale."

"Well, I guess if I'm about to meet my maker or see the inside of a gargantuan mammal you had better at least make my last moments worth while," he gave her a suggestive wink.

"Its the least I could do for a doomed man." She leaned closer to him and set out to explore this new strange new land.

After a long moment Logan surfaced for a breath and pushed a button on the door panel. "Let's take the scenic route Frank." He turned back to Rory as he felt the car swing in a right turn. "What do you say we stay the execution for a bit."

Rory jsut nodded and looked him with a mischevious smile before she crooked her finger at him "Come here lover boy."


	52. Call Me Ishmael

The beams of the limo headlights were bright snakes of illumination that slid sinuously over darkened buildings and empty streets lined with ice-laden trees. There was an eerie sense of calm that blanketed the snow muffled ghost town and made one think of choirs singing in hushed reverent tones and stars shining as they guided wise men to their destinations.

Hopefully these were men wise enough to steer their course far clear of the little Connecticut burg that lay so deceptively shrouded in docility that was a far cry from it's true nature of flamboyant turbulence.

Something was off. The scene was idyllic, beautiful, peaceful... and too damn quiet. Like the lull before a storm that made Goosebumps rise on Rory's forearms despite the toasty confines of the limo and the close proximity of Logan's warm skin. Rory pulled away from Logan's lingering lips with a regretful sigh as they rounded the last corner.

Thankfully all thoughts of holy nights, midnights clear and dancing sugar plum fairies were quickly dispelled by the screeched lyrics of the Beastie Boys that crashed through the stillness three blocks from the casa de Gilmore. Rory sighed in relief. Now that was more like it. A soundtrack suited to films of the collegiate debauchery Animal House genre was a much better fit than Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Snowflakes. Stars Hollow without noise and chaos was like green eggs without ham. Just wrong.

When they rolled to a stop at the curb in front of the house and the car engine died Rory took a moment to survey the scene. She squared her shoulders and turned to Logan with a questioning look that clearly said, last chance to run "You sure you're ready for this?'

He smirked as only Logan Huntzberger could smirk "Tut tut now Ace this constant doubt is so tiresome. Need I remind you again of the motto?"

She shook her head as if she pitied him his naiveté "This is no ordinary den of wolves that you are stepping in to. After a dose of Stars Hollow you might be wishing for business lunches, ladies teas and black tie charity events."

Logan looked skeptical as he thought of his final destination this evening and how little appeal that insulated, plush world held for him at the moment. "I seriously doubt it." He gave her a toothy grin "They serve horrible coffee at those things and the conversation is enough to bore you into a coma."

"Being bored into a coma is one thing you'll never have to worry about around here. Now hypnotization is a different story, whatever you do, if Kirk pulls out a shiny coin, look the other way." Rory sighed as the door was opened and Frank stood with eyes discreetly unfocused at the entrance. "Just don't say I didn't warn you if you suddenly start making clucking like a chicken every time someone says the word toast."

"Toast?"

"Trust me on this one."

'Warning duly recorded."

With the door open the cacophony resonated even louder and Logan tone was sardonic. "I know I don't exactly have vast experience with interventions other than what I've seen on Lifetime movies of the week and expose stories about Courtney Love and Jerry Lee Lewis, but are you sure this is the right place? I think Betty Ford might confuse this intervention with an all night rave."

Rory shook her head in resigned agreement "I can't say I've been to a real intervention either except for one unfortunate incident that got Kirk banned from the cereal aisle for 3 months but I'm pretty sure that Betty Ford would never approve of an intervention thrown by this town, Sookie has an unnatural fondness for margaritas and Stars Hollow's resident party girls are no slouches when it comes to drunk revelry in the face of calamity even if they are in their fifties."

Logan nodded at the closed door of the garage "So, who do you think is in there, a band of terrorists or the after party for the entire cast of RENT?"

Rory rolled her eyes expressively "I'm betting half the North Atlantic Fleet knowing Miss Patty and Babette."

Logan's eyes grew wide in mock excitement and he clapped his hands together "Ah, the famous mavens of Stars Hollow...so I am allowed to meet them at last eh?'

"Be very careful what you wish for Huntzberger." Rory pushed him out the door and then scooted out after him. She grinned slyly at him as they stood and straightened their coats. "I hear that they like the witty one's best, something about the sharper the tongue..."

Logan sniffed diffidently "Leave the exaggerated threats to your mother Ace, you're just too sweet to be convincing."

She raised an eyebrow. "Sweet huh? We'll see what tune you're singing after I introduce you to the Madams... and I mean that in the most lurid way possible."

The rambunctious cacophony issuing from somewhere in the vicinity of the garage suddenly died into silence and to the outward eye all looked normal, quiet little small town Connecticut on a snowy winters night. Funny how chilling normalcy could seem when it was all out of context. She smiled a thank you at Frank and then bravely grabbed Logan by the hand and set off towards the garage. "Come on then Gulliver let's brave the Houyhnhnms shall we."

They made it nearly to the garage door before the music started again with crashing of cymbals that seemed a little too real to be coming out of a CD player and a series of screeched curses that sounded decidedly French and far from friendly. Rory winced and stopped dead in her tracks having just considered the sort of picture her little town was about to paint for Logan. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, introducing him to the town all in one fell swoop; they were generally less scary if you got them in small doses. They had only just dodged the I love you bullet, was she really stupid enough to hand over the gun to Stars Hollow et al and ask for mercy? It was akin to standing in front of a firing squad and expecting to only end up mostly dead. It was suicide. She turned to Logan with a pleading look "Okay, so this is probably about the time that Dr. Seuss takes over directing the evening's entertainment. Last chance to run."

Logan grinned "Don't worry Ace, I've never met a cat in a hat or a fox in socks that I didn't like..." his words were drowned out by the din created when the door to the garage suddenly flew open and a figure was silhouetted for a single moment against a garish back drop of pink and flashing silver before he was quite unceremoniously shoved out and the door half slammed behind him. Logan cast a laughing sideways glance at Rory although never quite taking his eyes off the spectacle before them "You didn't mention the disco ball... I could have brought my platform shoes."

Rory closed her eyes in resignation and amended her internal monologue closing statement... this was going to be very messy suicide... She spread her hands wide in a grandiose gesture "Welcome to Stars Hollow. The floor show will begin in..." she looked at her wristwatch and mentally calculated "five... four... three... two...one..."

The man in the hat was right on his cue and bellowed a wounded first chorus with much fist waving and teeth gnashing as he paced in front of the half open garage door.

"**What will we do with the drunken sailor?**

**What will we do with the drunken sailor?**

**What will we do with the drunken sailor?**

**Earlye in the morning?**

**Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him**

**Hoist him aboard with a running bowline**

**Put him in the brig until he's sober."**

Logan's voice from behind Rory's shoulder barely carried over the shouted lyrics. "Okay, I'm guessing Pavarotti over there must be Kirk but what's with the hat? Doesn't exactly fit with Seussical the Musical or Saturday Night Fever."

She rolled her eyes expressively at him "You're enjoying this way too much."

"What's not to enjoy? I thought this was a party...uh er, I mean intervention."

Rory shot him an exasperated look but he just held up his hands to show his innocence and then turned her skillfully back to the solo performance in front of them. "What do you say we go meet the Mayor of Who-ville?"

Rory raised an eyebrow "Kirk the mayor? I think I would prefer Thidwick the Moose. By the way how did you know it was Kirk?"

"It was the only reasonable deduction based on my research to date."

"Research?"

"You'll read it all in my first best-selling book. " He ran his hand across the air as if reading imaginary words painted there "I'm thinking 'The Descent of Man into Lunacy' or maybe 'The Origin of Species Homo Kirkus'. The Galapagos has got nothing on your town when it comes to rare and strange new species.' He slung a friendly arm around her shoulder at her worried look "Don't worry Ace, I promise I'll change everyone's name so no one will know their real identities."

Rory just sighed "Better not change Miss Patty's she'd take it as an insult. She loves to see her name in print almost as much as she likes it in lights."

"Duly noted. Now I say we stop the audition and save ourselves." He pointed at Kirk who was revving up for a rousing second verse having now drawn what looked like a fire poker from his belt and begun brandishing it like a sword or a conductors baton in time to his song.

Rory sighed. "I'm thinking Darwin might rethink his whole theory on the evolution of man if he met Kirk."

Logan made a great show of searching his pockets for a pen "Can I quote you on that?"

Rory shook her head "You don't want to get in a tell all battle with me boat boy."

His eyes widened and he held up a hand for a time out.

She walked forward a few steps skillfully dodging the swinging fire poker and tapped Kirk on the shoulder.

Kirk spun quickly with a surprised look on his face and the fire poker held at the ready. "Jolly jack tar you nearly shivered me timbers and had me jumping ship. You shouldn't sneak up on a sailor like that or you're likely to be made to walk the plank."

Logan laughed. Rory frowned "Kirk it's freezing out here why aren't you in the garage with everyone else?"

Kirk puffed up his chest "I'm protesting. No seaman worth his salt can tolerate that falderal that's going on in that sad excuse for a ship and to think they'd prefer those banshees wailing to a good old-fashioned sea shanty. Rotten sailors every last one of them. They'll run aground in no time and then we'll see who they are calling three sheets to the wind." He harrumphed and glared back in the direction of the raucous garage where Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' had just replaced the Beastie Boys. "I've a good mind just to abandon ship and let them all end up on their way to Davy Jone's Locker."

Rory nodded solemnly trying to ignore Logan's barely contained snickers from behind her. She patted Kirk sympathetically on the shoulder opposite the half deflated parrot and tried for an understanding look. "That's probably what they deserve. Maybe you should just leave them to their fate."

Kirk sniffed with high affront "I've half a mind to. Set sail on my own, drink like a fish until I'm happy as a clam..." he trailed off as if contemplating this course of action.

"Sounds like a good plan." Rory said encouragingly.

"Have you ever met an unhappy clam?" Kirk looked thoughtful now as if puzzling over this question.

Logan swallowed a snort of laughter that got a dirty look from Rory who was getting exasperated and starting to lose feeling in her feet sunk in six inches of snow as they were. The result was a slightly waspish tone "Hello, not exactly the shellfish psychology expert here. Closest encounter I've had with a clam was the deep fried variety from Al's. Plus I'm in the anti-clam society since the whole tragedy with Cinnamon, you should know that."

Logan leaned over slightly "Who was...?"

"Babette and Morry's cat." Rory said out of the side of her mouth.

"And his demise had something to do with clams?"

Kirk nodded knowingly at the reference to the deceased cat "Right, right of course, how tactless of me, poor Cinnamon, Morry still can't look a clam in the eye without getting all weepy. He's a musician you know, they're very sensitive."

Logan raised an eyebrow and whispered another aside to Rory "Do clams have eyes?" Rory struggled to keep a straight face.

Kirk was back to his perplexing conundrum "But if a clam were unhappy... how would you know? What if all clams are really unhappy and in our misguided anthropocentricism we've just been assuming for all this time that they are happy go lucky creatures. I mean I'm not sure I'd be all that happy if all I got to do all day was filter water, talk about drowning in boredom... they don't even get to grow pearls like those showboats the oysters." He stared morosely off into the distance as if contemplating the sad existence of clams.

Rory put her hand on Logan's arm and tugged, pulling him away from Kirk and toward the garage. "What ever you do, don't look back unless you want to end up like Lot's wife." She said in a hiss.

"Turned to salt?" Logan asked curiously.

Rory nodded emphatically "And left behind. Pirate's code, those that stay behind get left behind."

Logan cocked a head back at an angle at the warbling Kirk. "Is Captain Kirk there drunk?"

Rory shrugged and walked resolutely onward "Impossible to tell."

They'd barely made it ten steps when a voice behind them had both Rory and Logan spinning back towards the front steps of the house as Lane came charging from the porch lamenting in a loud plaintive voice as she came "Thank god you're finally here. It's worse than Chinese water torture. Have you ever heard of such cruelty...? Mariah Carey and Def Leppard played back to back? I thought the right regime had gotten hold of it for a while, some good Beatles and the new Beck but then all hope was dashed... a coup, an uprising of the worst sort. My days are numbered, I can only hope that my minutes are numbered if they pull out Celine Dion." they heard another crash from within the garage that was followed by the start of a Duran Duran song. "My god my mother was right, the apocalypse is upon us and the evil rock music really is going to be the downfall of the world."

She gave Rory a hug "You better hug me now before I perish simply from being in the vicinity of such a travesty of music taste. Your mom is either depressed enough to be in a coma or dead, I haven't had the guts to go in and find out. I figured I need heavy backup to come out of there alive." She bit her bottom lip "Do we even have a SWAT team in Stars Hollow?"

Rory pointed at the center of the lawn where Kirk now sat singing '101 bottles of beer on the wall' in a low mournful bluesy voice. "You're looking at him."

Lane made a frightened face "It's like sending the pot in to tell the kettle it's black. We're doomed for sure."

Rory just laughed as Lane bounced back a step and then gave Logan a long up and down look before turning back to her friend with no perceptible pause in the flow of words "You're right he's definitely got the whole Cruel Intentions thing down."

Rory flushed red and Logan gave her an uncomprehending look complete with wrinkled brow. Rory tried to wave it off "I'll explain later."

Logan raised an eyebrow and then he looked pointedly at his watch "It's later now."

"Fine, Lane asked me to describe you so I told her you looked kind of like Ryan Philipe in Cruel Intentions although I never really like him in that movie and I don't actually think that you are as screwed up as he was although you do have a Porsche and..." She clamped her mouth shut "I'm just going to stop talking now."

Lane was watching them like a spectator at a tennis match with a great deal of amusement. Logan gave Lane his full bore teasing smirk and winked at her "You must be Lane. Does that mean that Ace here is the innocent girl I'm going to corrupt?"

Rory turned a shade redder if that was even possible and Lane just laughed "I like you already Burger Boy."

Rory recovered a bit and rolled her eyes "You've been talking to my mom haven't you?"

"Well she does refer to him constantly as Big Mac, I was just playing along with the game." Lane shrugged.

Rory sighed in exasperation "Yeah, only Big Mac doesn't actually refer to a burger, it stands for Master and Commander."

"Like the movie? Russell Crowe was totally hot in that..." Lane snapped her fingers "oh wait, I get it, because of the boat sinking in Fiji, of course. Pretty good." She said with an appreciative nod.

Logan leaned slightly towards Rory and said in a half whisper "Is there anything they don't know? My middle name, a list of child hood pets, social security number, code to my safe?"

"You have a safe?" Rory asked with playful interest.

Logan gritted his teeth "I'm trying to make a point here."

Rory shrugged as if matters were out of her control "I tried to warn you, it's a small town, what they lack in entertainment venues they make up for in gossip milling, it's practically the town trade."

Logan narrowed his eyes "Only one solution I can see, I'm definitely going to have to get you to wear that cheerleader's uniform again just to get them to stop talking about me."

"Not funny" Rory said with a glare.

"Gallows humor." He retorted.

Lane piped in with a perky smile "We haven't got the code to the safe yet if that makes you feel better. Although I think Kirk and his fancy DSL connection are working on that one. Squire Trelawney and Long John Silver, great names for cats by the way."

Rory snickered "Long John Silver? I'm assuming that isn't in reference to a fast food joint."

"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum." Logan said in a defeated tone.

Rory hooted in triumph "Dr. Seuss and now Treasure Island, the blackmail material alone might make this night worthwhile."

Logan looked ready to retort but Lane interrupted. "Good news is we looked up your horoscope and it says that you are always up for a new challenge...we figure you've got pretty good odds with a Gilmore Girl as they never present a shortage of challenges."

Logan cocked his head considering "Good assessment, I think I'm going to like you very much Great Tune master."

Lane gave him an approving nod "Ah, the Worder Woman told you about our secret identities I see, she must really like you, not just any old mortal gets invited into our secret world of cheese houses and superhero alter egos."

Logan was laughing out loud by now "Houses made of cheese? I think you left that part out Ace."

"I was eight!" Rory enunciated with precision, arms crossed "Look batboy even superheroes have to eat and sleep we were just trying to kill two birds with one stone. Besides I like cheese."

Lane stopped her with a groan. "Please no more talk of cheese. I'm starving; there is nothing in our apartment that even resembles food at the moment... I'm beginning to having cravings for tofurkey and sprouted soy muffins."

Rory's eyes rounded "That is bad."

Lane nodded vehemently "Yeah. Bad, like I'm about to go on a suicide mission into that garage to find the Sookie snacks bad."

"Sookie snacks? Are those anything like Scooby snacks?" Logan said with a tilt of his left eyebrow.

Lane gritted her teeth and put her hand on the door. "Okay, cover me. I'm going in."

She was saved the effort as the door was pushed from the other side and the three of them stumbled backwards as the force of the din and a human being nearly knocked them flat in the snow.

"Hey kid and consort, it's about time you got here, you've missed the finger painting and the Broadway revue of Spamalot, don't worry though, the second act is about to start." Lorelai was clad in black sweat pants, yellow rubber boots and a purple jester hat all of which were splattered with pink paint. She was gesturing in wild swings with a dripping paintbrush in her right hand and at that precise moment looked deranged enough to need an intervention. She took a breath and nodded at Logan "Big Mac... welcome to the dark side, make yourself at home...intermission is almost over."

Logan had no time to answer as a squeak from the much accosted CD player had Lorelai spinning quickly back towards into the garage and waving her paint drenched weapon at Michel who was standing a few feet away with a haughty pinched look on his face despite the fact that his hair was streaked with the same grotesque shade of pink that seemed to have exploded from some particularly nasty bomb onto the garage walls.

Lorelai brandished the paintbrush like a gun cocked at the ready "Step away from the CD player Michel, I told you no more Roxette or it was going to mean war."

Michel's eyes narrowed and he stamped a work boot that looked like it was made of Italian leather "It is only fair, you tricked me into doing all the stencils, the least I should get for my trouble is the right to listen to my music."

Lorelai scoffed "We didn't trick you Michel, we practically had to barricade the door to keep you out and only gave in after you practically staged a protest complete with picket signs."

"I maintain that you are forcing me into hard labor against my will and therefore I should be allowed to choose the environment of my workplace, aren't there some sort of laws for that sort of thing, OPUS or ORCA or OPIE or something like that." Michel said sulkily.

Lorelai sighed "It's OSHA you dolt, not a whale or a cartoon penguin or a boy from a fifties TV show. Now get back to work before I am overtaken by the urge to paint you and your little doggies red just for spite."

Michel looked as if he were considering mutiny "You don't have any red paint."

"Well I'll go get some just for the occasion...fire engine red and then guess what, horror of horrors...you will clash." Lorelai said it with great relish and spun out the door again. She smiled triumphantly at her small audience before pointing at Logan and Lane and then back at Michel who was attempting to burn holes in her back with his bare eyes "You two, watch him will you while I go get some whore red paint. A few lights, some tinsel and its like Christmas came early and we get to decorate a Frenchman instead of a Christmas tree."

"I detest you." Michel's petulant voice followed her out of the garage.

She gave he collective audience a droll wink before she said in loud tones "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

"I heard that."

"You were meant to hear that my fine feathered friend." Then she got a wicked look in her eye and rubbed her hands together "oooh, feathers... that'll be the crowning touch...and he can be the angel on top of the tree."

She grabbed Rory's free arm and pulled "You come with me." She smiled unapologetically at Logan "Sorry lover boy, you're on your own. Girl talk. Just keep your back to the wall and your eyes on the emergency exits and you'll be fine."

Rory cast a helpless look back at Logan and Lane as she tripped after her mother.

Logan watched them go and then looked back at Lane who was still standing next to him watching him with keen eyes. She gave him a questioning look "Not many would blame you if you were thinking about bolting."

Logan held her gaze for a long measuring moment and then he smiled, the full force Logan Huntzberger smile "You underestimate my capability for insanity. It's okay, most people do."

Lane eyed him with a concerned look "Rory said you were a little crazy, she left out the suicidal kamikaze part."

He gestured at the scene in the garage "I've seen worse."

Lane raised an eloquent eyebrow but remained silent.

Logan put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels "Yep, you ask me I'd rather be in a Mork and Mindy rerun any day than spend the evening at a pre communist revolution cocktail party run by Mitchum Huntzberger."

Lane shrugged "I don't think Mork and Mindy had a Miss Patty but hey, it's your ass on the line.' She had barely gotten the words out before Logan felt a warm body stop scant inches from the aforementioned body part. Lane's eyes widened just as a silky voice spoke into his left ear.

"Oh yes, and a mighty fine specimen it is too... you gotta give those Gilmore girls credit they do know how to pick their men."

The second voice came from his right "Must be something in the genes, it's uncanny how they manage to get all the best ones... and will you look at that? I could just take a bite out of this one."

Logan suddenly thought he knew exacted how the fox must feel when it was cornered by a pack of baying hounds hot in pursuit. He did the only thing he could in the situation, met the hunters face on and pretended that he didn't know he was already dead meat. "Hello ladies, Rory has told me so much about you." He let his most charming smile flow across his features and then winked at them "Of course she left out the part about your beauty and charm." He offered an arm to each of them with gallant aplomb. "Shall we venture into the wilds?"

"Oh to be young and foolish again.' Miss Patty said with happy sigh and then Logan was being led by both arms into the melee.

Lane trailed after the trio with a grin on her face and wondered if the townsfolk had already started the pool on how long this one would last in Babette and Miss Patty's clutches.

Lorelai pulled Rory all the way up to the porch and then collapsed onto the steps as if she could go no further, apparently completely unaware that she was sitting in a good six inches of frozen water. She patted the step next to her and looked up at Rory expectantly.

Rory gave her an exasperated look "You want me to sit in the freezing cold snow with you when there is a perfectly good couch twenty feet away in the nice warm house."

Lorelai blinked innocently "What you need an engraved invitation? Well okay, I'll have my personal assistant send it to you posthaste. Michel will love that." She looked up expectantly "Now what was that address again...101 Lovers Lane or maybe 42 Sappy Hollow Road?"

Rory rolled her eyes "If I sit down can we move on to another topic?"

Lorelai smiled triumphantly "My pleasure."

Rory grumbled but she sat. "You're cruel you know that. I just don't understand why can't we have this conversation in the house or even the garage where there are chairs and heat?"

"In case you haven't noticed the garage is filled with crazy people." Lorelai said in a matter of fact tone.

"And your point is?"

"Toxic fumes and men with paintbrushes and stencils. Besides I kind of wanted to have this conversation without having to shout over Kirk trying to sing the Ode to Grog over the Cher medley. Just for the record though, it's not my fault."

"The crazy people or the paint?" Rory asked with a half smile.

"Yes." Lorelai nodded emphatically.

'Going with the blanket denial."

"Always the smartest bet in this place."

Rory looked skeptical "And it's not your fault they are in there painting your empty garage such garishly insane colors that even Bozo the clown would cringe in horror?"

"Blame it on too much estrogen." Lorelai put on her best sulky face "Anyway, its not my fault the garage was empty in the first place, but thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject, while you're at it why not give me a paper cut and pour some lemon juice in it."

Rory glowered "It won't do you any good to quote Princess Bride, this is against the Geneva Conventions."

Lorelai pouted belligerently "Do I look like I care what those swanky Swiss guys say, about anything except chocolate? I'm above the law."

This raised an eyebrow "Oh really? Since when?"

Lorelai coughed haughtily "Since I adopted George W. as my role model."

"You've been drinking margaritas haven't you?" Rory's tone had turned suspicious.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Rory crossed her arms and stared her mother down "You decided to become a Republican and you're sitting in half a foot of snow and appear to be completely oblivious to the fact that they are probably going to have to amputate your left butt cheek when the hypothermia sets in. sounds like margarita night to me."

Lorelai threw her hands up in surrender "Okay, I admit there may have been margaritas involved in the evening at some point but that's all you're getting out of me." Lorelai cast her eyes downward now "I understand if you don't want to stay out here with your inebriated, depressing has been of a mother. Leave me to my pain. I'm not fit company anyway. It's the end of an era kid. I'm an obsolete dinosaur. I'm Norma Desmond, I'm Monica Lewinsky, I'm the Commodore 64, I'm Dexy's Midnight Runners after Come on Eileen. I'm Pac Man that's who I am and my ghost eating days are all used up, I haven't got any lives left."

"You're not an out of date video game, you're the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Anyway, I'm not going to leave you out here moping. I would never live that down, it would go right below kicking puppies on the list of all time most evil activities. It would probably be on Saint Peter's list when I showed up at the pearly gates... abandoning one's mother in her time of pathetic mourning."

Lorelai stuck out her bottom lip in blatant contradiction to her next words. "Hey I said inebriated and depressing, I never said pathetic. Although I have to say I have gotten quite good at puppy dog eyes, I think that if I were to come back as a dog I would be the spaghetti eating kind."

"I don't think that dogs actually eat spaghetti."

"Lady did." Lorelai said with conviction.

"You do know that Lady and the Tramp were actually cartoon characters right?"

Lorelai sniffed "Maybe in your world. I prefer to believe in magic and talking dogs if it's all the same to you."

"You win let's get this over with while I still have feeling in my legs okay."

Lorelai clapped her hands together happily "Yeah, I win. Okay kid, spill, what is Logan doing here and what's with the Maria face? You look like you're going to break out singing 'I Feel Pretty' any second."

Rory gave her an exasperated look "I don't feel pretty. I feel like the Abominable Snowman."

"Uh Huh." Lorelai gave her a knowing look.

'How come we have to be the Sharks?" Rory asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Lorelai looked nonplussed by the question "You'd rather be a Jet and go around singing silly lines like 'when you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day?"

"I always liked that song." Rory said in a defensive tone.

Lorelai shook her head resolutely "Nope, doesn't matter, no matter how much eyeliner you use you just don't look like Richard Beymer, besides Natalie Wood was much prettier."

"You're irritating." Rory retorted with a huff.

"You're stalling."

This garnered another eye roll "Gee Officer Krupke I didn't know there was a time limit."

"Sure, International Interrogation Rule book says the interrogator may award time penalties to the interrogated in cases of blatant stalling and subject changes. Extra ten seconds lost for ridiculous references."

Rory gasped "Ridiculous references? I'm not the one who brought up West Side Story."

Lorelai held up her finger to make a correction "True but obviously I would never play Officer Krupke. I'm just too pretty."

"Back to the pretty thing again. I don't know mom I'm a little worried about you with this whole inferiority complex thing." Rory tried for a concerned face.

"Just stating the facts ma'am, nothing but the facts."

"Wrong Officer." Rory said wryly.

"Touché." Lorelai pointed a finger at her daughter "So if you're finished with the mentally doing the limbo can we get back to the subject?"

Rory paused "Okay, but first I get to ask you a question since you are the woman of the hour and you've forced me to lose all feeling in by feet."

"Fair enough." Lorelai waved a hand in supplication "Go ahead, shoot...but if you ask me if I'm okay then you'd better be doing it with a bazooka."

"How are you mom...and the answer can not contain the word okay?"

Lorelai groaned before the words had hardly left Rory's mouth "Fine. I'm fine, I swear, I'm going to have a big lapel pin made that says that in huge letters and spits water at the person who asked the question or maybe I'll get one of those giant two sided boards that they make poor minimum wage workers wear to advertise sandwiches, it would save me a lot of time and headaches. Or better yet maybe I should just splurge and by myself a billboard. How do you think I would look in pink sequins?"

Rory just looked at her unwilling to break eye contact. Lorelai finally sighed and slumped back against the step in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'm not fine. Not even I believe my own lies anymore. It's an ugly state of things when you can't even lie to yourself convincingly."

Rory looked pleased with herself "Good, now we are getting somewhere."

"Or nowhere. Welcome to my world. How nice you've come to visit me in my sad little vacuum of space and time. Meet the neighbors." Lorelai gestured in front of her as if pointing out people "There's matter and antimatter, they make a very nice couple although if you ask me antimatter seems awfully fond of that quark guy, but you know me, I try never to get in the middle of things like that. Hear no evil, see no evil I always say." She laid her head back onto the top step behind her and said in an idle tone "Have I ever told you that I hate space?"

Rory's brow furrowed "As an entity?"

"More like a concept, as in the thing that separates two people with it's vast emptiness. It is the final frontier, just like they say, the final frontier of loneliness." Lorelai's tone had turned morose.

Rory tried for a lighthearted comment "If it helps any I hear that Luke's coffee has been sucking for weeks."

Lorelai rolled her head to the side and opened one eye "You're not just saying that to cheer me up?"

"Mom." Rory admonished, "You don't really want Luke to be unhappy and making bad coffee do you?"

"Maybe just a little... I mean if I can't enjoy it then why should everyone else be able to?" Lorelai peaked up at Rory and got a raised eyebrow I'm not buying the line kind of look "Okay no, of course not, I want him to be happy, of course I want him to make good coffee and keep the earth on its axis. I just don't want him to be deliriously content or shout it from the rafters my life is great with out Lorelai kind of happy...so I'm a horrible person, tell me something I don't know."

Rory shook her head "You're not a horrible person mom, you're just upset and lonely and you are exhibiting the classic signs of grief, you're only human so it's natural to grieve when you lose someone you love."

Lorelai opened the other eye in a show of skepticism "Hey Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, did you go and become a psych major when I wasn't looking or have you just been reading On Death and Dying again?"

Rory let her lips quirk in a smile "Neither...I've been hanging out with Finn though."

Lorelai's brow lifted "That seems like it would be... instructional. So where do you figure I am in these stages of your?"

Rory gnawed on her bottom lip deep in thought "Well the way I figure it you've already made it past denial and anger...I'm not sure if you're in bargaining stage or the depressions stage. Been offering up any precious possessions lately?'

Lorelai narrowed her eyes in thought "Well I did off the Kirk my first born child for a cup of Luke's coffee the other day...does that count?'

Rory gasped in mock hurt "Hey, I'm your first born child... wait, I'm only worth a cup? I should be at least a pot...now I'm insulted and I'm not even going to think about that fact that you bartered me to Kirk...that my friend is the stuff of nightmares."

Lorelai spoke quickly in her own defense "I was desperate, wasn't thinking clearly, you're right I should have held out for a pot."

"So now that we've eliminated okay and fine, how are you really mom?"

Lorelai lifted herself up off the step far enough to give a little shrug "Oh you know me... take a licking and keep on ticking."

"Now you're a Timex watch?"

"To coin a phrase."

"Great, well since you're busy ticking and coining phrases I'll tell you my news."

Lorelai gave her a suspicious look "That was almost too easy, you only made me beg for fifteen minutes. I haven't even pulled out my Star Trek references. Must not be a very good story."

"Let's keep the beam me up Scotty comments for another day shall we, I promise it's a good story." Rory paused and glanced at the garage door where she had last seen Logan, her eyes were glowing by the time she looked at Lorelai again and she spoke in a near whisper as if saying it aloud might somehow jinx it "I did it mom. I said I love you."

Lorelai's mouth quirked in a smile but she played dumb "Did you say this to anyone in particular or was this a general sentiment?"

Rory rolled her eyes "Logan, I told Logan I love him."

"What did he say?"

Rory gave her a surprised look "You're not going to ask me if I do love him?"

Lorelai shrugged "You do. I can tell by the way your eyes light up and you smile like Lloyd In Dumb and Dumber. You can practically see the little hearts and birdies circling around your head. Pretty soon I'm going to have to follow you around with a fly swatter."

Rory frowned "Which one was Lloyd, dumb or dumber?"

Lorelai waved a hand "Don't dwell, I've had one too many margaritas to think carefully about details, okay, I'm trying to be Barbara Streisand here and you're really not playing along."

"Barbara in Hello Dolly?"

"I was thinking more Meet the Fockers."

Rory looked worried "Okay, I get the cool mom part but please tell me this isn't about to veer into some sort of weird sex therapist discussion?"

Lorelai sighed in exasperation "Look Siskel give the commentary a rest and let's get back to the subject okay." She went with a deliberately light tone "So, what did Mac say to this revelation? Should I be picking out wedding cake? You know that's my favorite part."

Rory shrugged nonchalantly and her tone was neutral as if simply discussing the weather or a nice sandwich she had for lunch "Nothing."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow "Nothing? Nothing? He said nothing? You said I love you and he said nothing?

Rory frowned "You practicing to be a parrot on Kirk's pirate ship?

"Just making sure I have my facts straight in my defense at the trial and I retract my former comment about wedding cake. We'll make it a funeral cake for after I kill the upstart whelp."

Rory shook her head "Mom. It's fine. I'm not upset about it."

"You're not upset about it?" Lorelai parroted again.

"Nope." Rory shook her head still smiling. "I'm fine. We're fine. Really. I feel..." She trailed off as she looked over towards the sky as if looking for the right word "Happy. Logan makes me happy."

Lorelai felt a little pang in her chest as her daughter's luminous eyes met hers again and she believed. For that instant she believed in everything that her daughter felt at that moment, she believed in true love and happily ever after and fairytale princes. Too bad she knew better.

Rory suddenly shot up from her seat with a panicked expression as if something had just dawned on her "Logan. Oh my god, Logan, I totally abandoned him to the wolves in there and here I am out here jabbering away about Jets and Sharks and who knows what they've done to him by now..." she looked at Lorelai with wide eyed fear.

Lorelai patted her on the hand "Go save your prince Hun. We'll talk later."

Rory took two steps forward before Lorelai's voice stopped her and she looked back at her mom "Rory, I'm happy, that you're happy."

Rory smiled and felt her shoulders relax "Good." Then she was off like a shot towards the garage and Lorelai watched her for a second with a wistful expression.

She looked past her daughter to the other figures silhouetted in various poses inside the garage and spilling out onto the lawn. A bizarre assortment of characters that had joined together to help her rebuild, redecorate, start over yet again and she wondered how many times this scene would play out in the future, how many of these people would be here next time she crashed and burned helping put the pieces back together. She felt like she was sitting in a whirl a tilt watching the world go by and she was in the center never moving, always stationary. Her little girl was growing up, she was in love, Sookie was married with a family of her own and another baby on the way, even Kirk even had a girlfriend, all around her the world was changing and she was the only one not changing with it.

All around her dreams of all shapes and sizes were coming true while hers were in unrecognizable tatters. She sighed and let her head fall to her knees with a groan.

It was a low lilting voice next to her that brought her out of her reverie. "Penny for your thoughts."

Lorelai lifted her head and met Miss Patty's wise eyes figuring she was as good a love guru as any "I'll give you a thousand pennies for the answer to this one. Do you think that dreams really can come true?"

Miss Patty raised a well-shaped eyebrow in response and leaned against the porch rail "Ten bucks isn't much for the secrets of the world."

Lorelai gave a little shrug "What can I say, I'm a cynic."

Miss Patty nodded and pointed a finger at her "And that my dear is exactly your problem. In my experience dreams come true all the time but all those happy ever afters might be right there staring you in the face and you'll never see them if you don't believe."

Lorelai winced as the words hit home "Ouch. So it's that easy huh, right there for the taking and I'm just too stupid to see it?"

Miss Patty raised an eyebrow "Not stupid just blinded by stubbornness and guilt."

"Guilt? I don't get it Patty, what would I have to feel guilty for?" Lorelai said with a confused look.

"Being happy."

"Why would I feel guilty for that?" Lorelai was thoroughly unsettled now by the train of this conversation.

Miss Patty shrugged smoothly "If I knew the answer to that I could have saved you a lot of heart ache over the years. I don't know why it is, all I know is what I see."

There was a long silence as Lorelai weighed her thoughts carefully trying to siphon them into the right words. Was Miss Patty right? Did she really feel guilty about wanting to be happy? Her words when they came were softer than usual but filled with conviction. "What if I don't know how to be happy? I don't want to hurt him Patty."

"So don't. Chose another way."

Lorelai shook her head at the matter of fact tone, as if it were really as simple as that. "But..."

"This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship." Miss Patty spoke in rich flowing tones.

"Very impressive." Lorelai said with a look of surprise.

"Moby Dick." Miss Patty smiled "Summer Theater 1967, I was in love with the man who played the whale. Unfortunately he was more interested in Captain Ahab."

"They had a man play the whale?" Lorelai asked with a curious look.

"It was the 60's. You should have seen the poor guys who had to throw the cannonballs off the ship during the battle scenes... incredible upper body strength." Miss Patty spoke in warm nostalgic tones.

"Right."

"So what's it going to be Lorelai. You going to go catch that dream of yours/"

"Call me Ishmael." Lorelai said with vehemence as she pushed herself up and stood resolutely. She turned and gave Miss Patty a spontaneous hug. "Thanks Patty."

Miss Patty spied movement behind Lorelai's shoulder and cleared her throat purposefully before she smiled at the new comer. "Hello gorgeous, glad you could make it."

There was an uncomfortable cough behind Lorelai before she spun and came face to face with her very own fairytale prince. She stared at the apparition in front of her. "Luke?" It wasn't really a question.

Luke having been stopped quite effectively by the wall of sound and flashing lights coming from the direction of the garage looked at her in a dazed sort of way. "Lorelai?"

There was a painful silence as they stared at each other. Miss Patty for once in the right place at the right time wisely remained mute until Lorelai finally broke the staring contest. "Luke, what are you...?"

Luke blinked like a man coming out of a trance and then abruptly thrust out his right hand holding a flat round package. "Pie." He said as if this explained everything.

Now it was Lorelai's turn to blink and try to make sense of this nonsensical transition. "What?"

Luke shook his package at her "Pie. I brought pie. Sookie wanted me to bring pie, it had something to do with painting a whale and avoiding naked British men and well I don't want you to sell the Dragonfly so I brought pie." He looked as confused by this speech as the rest of his audience which had now grown considerable but he pushed the now identified pie plate at her again resolutely as if it were his mission in life to simply exchange possession of this dessert.

Lorelai's fingers clasped the edges automatically but she was still staring at him with complete confusion painted in wide eyes and knitted brows across her face. "Sell the who and paint the what?"

Luke now looked desperate and panicked as if he had only just realized where he was standing and who he was talking to as the entire town looked on from their five dollar seats at the garage doors. "Just take the pie. Sorry to interrupt you party. I have to go."

"But..." the words fell on deaf ears and Lorelai grasped the pie quickly mostly to keep it from hitting the ground when Luke spun on his heel and stalked back towards the street.

Players and audience alike seemed glued in place for a second as Luke disappeared from sight. Lorelai sucked in a deep breath and laughed a little shakily as she looked down at the dish in her hands. Her voice was barely above a breathy whisper "I didn't even ask what kind it is."

Miss Patty couldn't think of anything better to do so she lifted the edge of the tin foil covering the dish and peered inside. "Pumpkin.' She announced decisively.

Lorelai' s eyes rounded and still looking dazed she whispered it to herself as if this were some sort of revelation. "Pumpkin." Then she looked up at Miss Patty with shining eyes "Pumpkin. He brought me pumpkin pie."

Babette now at Miss Patty's elbow nodded her agreement "Good choice. Very seasonal."

Lorelai shook her head wildly and her face suddenly broke out into a wide smile "No, don't you get it? He brought me pumpkin pie. Don't you see what this means?"

Babette gave her a strange look just as Sookie and Rory approached with worried looks on their faces. Sookie was the first to speak in an anxious voice. "What is it Lorelai? What did he say? Did he bring the pie?"

"Pumpkin." Lorelai said, gesturing with the pastry in question. Then her eyes narrowed "Wait, did you tell him to bring pumpkin Sookie?"

Sookie frowned and looked slightly annoyed "No. No I didn't, in fact I explicitly asked him to bring apple pie because Jackson was being a pill about the new Granny Smith crop and wouldn't give me any to make the pie myself and..."

There was a panicked excitement in Lorelai's voice now "So he came up with pumpkin all on his own?" Sookie just shrugged and then nearly got trampled as Lorelai shoved the pie into her hands and took off across the lawn.

"Where are you going Lorelai?" Sookie called after her in confusion.

"I have to see a man about a boat." Lorelai's words trailed after her as she too vanished around the side of the house towards the street. "Just save me some pie."

Sookie was duly congratulated for a successful intervention and they gaggle of women quickly retired back to the garage while Rory remained standing next to the steps with a contemplative look on her face.

Logan joined her a few seconds later with a backwards glance at the three gabbing ladies. "Your mom okay?" he asked in a concerned tone. "I think I just heard them mention something about being turned into a pumpkin."

"Pumpkin pie." Rory said with a smile that widened, as she looked back in the direction her mother had vanished. "They were talking about pumpkin pie." She started to giggle.

Logan waited a beat for her to finish the thought and then prodded a little more "Care to explain the joke?"

Rory grinned, "It's more of a happy ending to a very very long story. You see the first Thanksgiving that we lived in Stars Hollow was kind of rough on my mom because she got in this huge fight with my grandparents right before the holidays and we boycotted the family holiday stuff and decided to have our own thanksgiving here in Stars Hollow. My mom was out of sorts and Luke was crabby because he hates holidays and all the silly traditions and decorations and especially the 'fake pilgrim food' as he always calls it mid-rant. So he and my mom got into this huge argument about pumpkin pie because the one thing that my mom absolutely loves about holidays is always the dessert and pumpkin pie is one of her favorites. So she is waxing poetic about the nostalgia of pumpkin pie and whip cream and Luke is ranting about how the Native Americans who were the real first pilgrims didn't even have pumpkins and it's insulting to their memory that we even celebrate this joke of a holiday that celebrates their mass slaughter as a culture and he is really warming up to his topic when my mom just looks at him. Pins him with this stare and smiles and says with a totally straight face "I think that pumpkin pie is the most romantic dessert there is, I would rather have pumpkin pie than diamonds or roses.'"

Logan laughed, "So you come by your strange, dessert is romantic theory, honestly?"

Rory nodded but continued her story "Luke of course thinks this is the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard and launches into a lengthy diatribe about all the reasons that pumpkin pie is the least romantic dessert, not to mention the least patriotic and most politically incorrect. For the next ten minutes or so my mom sits there with an absolutely serene expression until finally Luke has finally run out of creative insults to the squash family she looks him straight in the eye and says without batting an eyelash 'Someday the man I love will make me a pumpkin pie and that's the guy I'm going to marry."

Logan rolled his eyes, "Let me guess... Luke made her pumpkin pie?"

Rory shook her head thoroughly enjoying the story now "Nope. Never actually. Every year for over a decade they've had the same argument with varied rants of course, I think he spends most of the year coming up with new ones actually, and every year he makes every other type of pie known to man, rum raisin, pecan, apple, persimmon toffee, one year he even made a chocolate treacle tart but never pumpkin pie... until now. It's a sign."

Logan looked slightly impressed by this tale, "So, now what?"

Rory thought for a moment and then shrugged "Now we wait to see if pumpkin pie will save the day."


	53. An Enchanted Evening

Luke didn't go straight home. He needed to think and this kind of rumination couldn't be done behind the plate glass of the diner windows where he sometimes felt like he existed in a fishbowl or in his empty apartment where the silence closed in on him like the moving walls in an Indiana Jones movie. He needed fresh air to clear his head and uninterrupted time for deliberation.

So he walked.

... and walked. Over the bridge and through the woods to a place only he knew.

This place was full of happier memories of him as a child exploring new worlds with his small hand securely in his mother's safe warm grip. It was a small clearing, nothing special in the light of the day but it had been a place of magic battles, swashbuckling adventures to a young boy and a place of refuge to a troubled lost young man, orphaned too soon and left with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Now it was his favorite place to think. He could sit on the particularly large boulder on the north edge of the clearing and view the world from a comfortable distance. At six it's rough hewn granite mass had been a pirate ship recaptured from greedy bloodstained hands by a strapping young sailor with a wooden sword his father had made out of old fence pickets. Now it was a sort of oversized worry stone that served as a reservoir for so many questions, worries, lamentations, words and thoughts that never bore repeating out loud. If a stone could speak this one would have plenty to tell the world about Luke Danes the child and the man.

He brushed away a layer of snow and settled into his favorite small depression, carved by nature into an inviting seat for weary travelers and returning visitors seeking solace. Closing his eyes he willed away the weight of self-recrimination that sat so heavily on his shoulders. It would do no one good this night to dwell on moments passed, on opportunities missed.

In the stillness he could almost hear his mother's soft soothing voice in his ear whispering of all her hopes for him, love, family, lasting happiness. All the things he'd lost when she and his father had gone. He didn't need to ask what she would have thought of his most recent predicament. She had always thought him too shy for his own good; she had lamented the trait picked up from his father of keeping everyone at arms length with a gruff exterior. She would have teased him about being in denial, gently nudged him towards realization, hugged him when things fell apart and started hatching a new plan for getting her back. There would have been no room in this plan for walking away empty handed. She would have done everything in her power to make sure that her little boy found happiness.

Sometimes he missed his mom so much that his heart ached with it. He liked to think that she had looked down on him over the years and been proud of how he grew up, of the man he became but he had a feeling that this time he had disappointed her. He'd had everything he wanted within his grasp, right there if he'd just reached out but instead he had backed away. He had chickened out. He had fallen prey to the scared little boy inside him that was too afraid to open himself up to love because he feared the potential loss and pain that might be it's companions.

He slouched down against the little ledge of rock behind him and stared hard at the ice slicked ground in front of him, the neat prints left in the snow by his boots looked like sunken stepping stones against the pristine sheet of white. Those tracks led back to uncertainty and confusion and so many things that he couldn't control, but they also led to tomorrow. He couldn't stay here forever, in this safe little protected pocket of memories. Outside this circle of trees life went on, seconds, minutes, hours, days ticked by and he couldn't hide from tomorrow forever. What would tomorrow be like if he didn't reach out and take what he wanted? What would it be like to live his succession of tomorrows in this town; in his diner serving coffee and cheeseburgers to the woman he loved but didn't have the guts to claim as his own? What would tomorrow be like the day Lorelei moved on and found another man who worshipped her for the very air she breathed and he had to stand by and be her friend?

He knew the answer to that one. He'd done just that for too many years. He'd convinced himself that he was a simple man with few needs. He'd told himself that yearning was a weakness and want was a four-letter word not to be uttered in mixed company. All these years he'd strived to have a life that his mother would be proud of, a life his father would respect. But it had all been a lie, he'd been living a half life, convincing himself that the glaring piece that was missing from this puzzle wasn't the thing that would make him whole. It was like building a house but forgetting the roof, you might have the sturdiest structure in the western hemisphere but when it rained you were still going to get wet.

The truth of the matter was he needed love, he yearned for companionship and he wanted, with every cell in his body he wanted. There was only one person who could satisfy that want and he'd known her name for a very long time. It was time he did something about that and finished his dream house once and for all.

This time he walked with purpose in his stride. He had a destination and he wasn't stopping until he reached it.

Or so he thought. A familiar voice stopped him when he would have turned towards the Gilmore house and had him tracing another pair of smaller footsteps back towards the center of town, He heard her before he saw her and a little flame of hope flickered to life in his gut. She had sought him out that had to mean they weren't so far from being on the same wavelength or at least in the same ocean.

She was standing hands on hips, legs spread wide in a stance that said she was ready to take on the world; the streetlights shone down on her and created a halo of soft light around her figure. She would have looked angelic if she weren't standing in the center of a half built boat with yellow rubber boots and a purple hat shouting something that sounded vaguely Elizabethan up at the darkened blank panes of his apartment windows.

As he advanced from a distance she shook her fist and then clutched it to the region over her heart.

When she glanced down at her feet and then bent and came up holding what looked like an ice ball he stepped in to stop her."

" Won't do you much good to throw it when I'm standing right behind you."

She spun so fast she nearly fell flat into the bottom of the boat and stared at Luke as if he was a conjuration of her imagination. "Luke?'

They stood stock still for a long moment before Lorelai regained her wits and let a little wry smile play over her lips. "We're getting really good at this bit tonight, a little more practice and we could take it on the road. The Amazing Lorelai and Luke the Diner Man...I can see it in lights."

Luke rolled his shoulders a little a the tension in his neck and then looked back at her "So, what are you doing here?"

"Well I was doing a little monologue to an apparently empty apartment." She paused and looked up at the window again.

"Romeo and Juliet?" he asked in a curious tone.

She shrugged "Hamlet actually, everyone does the balcony scene. You should be thankful though, I contemplated a serenade, a little John Cusack re-enactment but... well, you've hear me sing...so I went with Shakespeare."

Luke let the corner of his mouth lift in a little smile "I'm sure the neighbors thank you.'

"Not to mention Peter Gabriel."

Luke's forehead wrinkled in confusion and Lorelai answered the implied question "Say Anything, Lloyd Dobler, you know eighties movie where he stands outside with a boom box playing 'In Your Eyes'." She gave up with a wave when no light of recognition dawned in Luke's eyes "No time to waste on your deplorable lack of eighties movie knowledge. Let's move on."

"Okay, what I really meant was what are you doing in the boat." He said gesturing at the half built craft in front of him.

"The boat?" she looked as if she had momentarily forgotten her location and glanced around quickly as if getting her bearings "Oh right the boat." She took a deep breath. "Well Luke, it's like this. I did a lot of thinking about the boat and the pie and backroom betting parlors." He opened his mouth to question her but she continued in a rush of words. "And I came to the conclusion that there was only one thing to do. So I've come to reclaim my property." So saying she plopped down unceremoniously to sit in the middle of the boat as if staging some sort of sit in.

He stared at her for a moment and then found his tongue again "Are you drunk?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

She nodded happily "I hope so, either that of this is the plot from a very bad Chevy Chase movie."

He frowned but then dismissed the comment and went back to the previous remark "What property exactly do you intend to reclaim?"

Lorelai petted the side of the boat absently and continued as if she hadn't heard him "I think I'll name her something pretty like Rose or Ginger."

It dawned on him that she was discussing the watercraft she was currently captaining and the frown deepened "You can't name a boat Ginger."

"Oh and I suppose you have a better idea, you probably want to name it Pequod or Red October or some equally male name."

"Red October was a submarine." He said in a gruff tone.

She looked affronted "Oh pardon me Alex, I wasn't aware that this was a quiz show."

Luke sighed and robbed a hand over his face "Can we just go inside to have this conversation. I hardly think we need to be outside in a blizzard discussing names for the boat."

Lorelai shook her head stubbornly "I won't abandon my ship. I'll have to scuttle it."

Despite him Luke's hands found his hips as he gave her an exasperated look "You're in the middle of Main Street."

She shook her head sadly "you always were to literal for your own good. Now shoo if you're not going to join me... I have riggings to run and oars to pull and counter decks to scrub."

He groaned, "You have no idea what you're talking about do you?"

She sniffed indignantly "Sure I do, I watched The Storm and Master and Commander."

He raised an eyebrow in obvious doubt as to her expertise "Did you actually see anything other than George Clooney and Russell Crowe?"

She gave a little huff and crossed her arms over her chest "Well no, but that's beside the point."

They watched each other for a moment at a momentary impasse and then Luke sighed heavily and started to climb into the boat.

Her eyes narrowed as he threw a leg over the side and came to stand in front of her "I thought you were going inside. I don't need pity company you know; I'm perfectly fine out here with my new friend. It's past your bedtime Lukey, go back to Fluffy and leave me alone."

His jaw flexed and she thought idly that he looked as if he really hated to ask "Fluffy?"

"The comforter, the big squishy one, it looks like a Fluffy." She watched with fascination as the muscle in his lower jaw flexed.

"It's navy blue, how can something navy blue look like a Fluffy?"

"Would you rather it be named Butch after you?" she asked in an insolent tone.

"Funny." He replied with a totally deadpan voice.

She shrugged "Well don't ask me, you think I make up the names for your sexually confused bed linens?"

This raised both eyebrows and then he shook his head in the affirmative "Yes I think you do make them up and I request something other than Fluffy."

She stuck her bottom lip out petulantly "Fine Chairman Mao, I suppose next you're going to tell me that the coffee maker isn't named Clyde either?"

Luke threw up his hands in defeat "I give up, you can name it Muffin or Cookie if you want."

"Now that's just ridiculous, who would ever name a coffee maker after baked goods, that's just asking for a civil war, you start throwing around that kind of unorthodox thinking and pretty soon the boys aren't talking to one another and you've got Armageddon at Luke's." she glanced quickly towards the diner "I just hope they didn't hear you."

He sighed heavily this time and she looked back at him with some concern. "Do you know that you have some sort of tick in your left jaw? You should really have that looked at, could be the first sign of a stroke or something."

Luke settled down next to her and gave her a little sideways look. "You are exasperating."

"Well that there's no use flattering me now, the way I see it were both in the same boat now. If I were you I'd abandon ship before we weigh anchor."

"I think it's way to late for that advice." He paused and looked at her with a sigh, this conversation was not going the way he had envisioned. He squared his shoulders and decided it was about time he took a more active role in steering it. "We need to talk, if you won't come inside then we'll do it here."

Lorelai wiggled her eyebrows at him suggestively "Stubborn... I like that in a man."

He skillfully ignored her "So, back to my original question. Why are you out here in the boat..."

Lorelai interrupted "call her Bella, she doesn't like to be referred to as 'the boat'"

This momentarily sidetracked him "Bella? What happened to Rose and Ginger?"

"Too cliché." Lorelai said with a superior sniff.

"Doesn't Bella mean beautiful in Italian or something?"

Actually she'd been thinking of Bela Lugosi when she coined the moniker when the boat was still in its ugly duckling stage but she figured his version was a lot more complimentary. "Yeah... something like that."

He gave her a narrow eyed look "I thought you said it was a ugly behemoth that was an unbecoming shade of puce."

"When did I say that?" Lorelai gave him a look that was all indignant innocence.

Luke's eyes narrowed at her challenge "After the first coat of primer when you said it clashed with the ugly brown of your garage decor. There was a long and painful discussion that ensued about accessorizing your garage."

Lorelai shrugged "What can I say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You shouldn't talk about Bella that way though, how will she ever grow up too be a Swan when you are always undermining her self confidence?"

He gritted his teeth "It's a boat not a teenage girl."

"Oh I suppose next you'll be telling me that boats never grow up." Her tone had turned conversational "You know I never have understood your irrational dislike for witty discourse with stationary objects. Sometimes they really make the best conversationalists."

He sighed in defeat "If I call the damn boat Bella will you answer the question."

"Depends on what it is."

"Why are you out here in Bella yelling at my window?"

She circled the question first "I missed her."

"You missed the boat?" he looked incredulous at the idea.

"Yes." She narrowed her eyes "What? You don't believe me?"

Luke gave her a skeptical look "You realize how ridiculous that sounds for a girl who does nothing but make Gilligan's Island jokes whenever I get out my tools?"

Lorelai shrugged ruefully "I never claimed to be rational, that onus is one you put on yourself, I chose to live with out the fetters of convention." She cast her eyes down at her hands "I missed what the boat meant too."

"What the boat meant?" Now he was lost again.

"To you...to us." Her voice softened a bit on the last syllable.

He was perplexed by this direction of the conversation "I wasn't aware the boat meant anything to you other than a way to keep me busy so that you could watch hours of reruns of that show with the two insane British women."

She gave him a slightly sheepish look "Ab Fab...and you weren't supposed to figure that out...I'll have to be craftier next time, but that's not all it meant."

"Oh really?"

She nodded her head "really... it was about memories and perseverance and building something beautiful. Something that you could come sail away on with me.

His eyes took on a thoughtful expression "You got that from a song didn't you?"

She waved a dismissive hand "Styx but lets not belabor the point." She grasped his hand and drew his attention at last back to thoughts of the evening that had led to this odd conversation. Her eyes were serious now. "I miss you Luke. I don't want this to be the Million Dollar Baby kind of ending I want the happy ending. The Under the Tuscan Sun, I find what I'm looking for when I stop looking for it kind of story."

"What you're looking for." Luke repeated with no inflection "So, I'm the fall back? You've stopped looking and now you accept me as the consolation prize?"

Lorelai closed her eyes in exasperation "No, no, that's not what I meant. I meant that I was so busy trying to figure out what I wanted that I failed to notice that it was right here in front of me all the time. You're the one I want Luke. You and me and Bella and our silly little routines and our bits about coffee and all the times that we are there for each other in good and bad and all sorts of things in between. I miss my best friend."

"So that's all I am? A best friend." He knew he was being stubborn but this was important stuff.

She shook her head "No Luke, your my friend, my confidant, my lover, so many things that it would take a day and a half to list them and I'm a fast talker. Suffice it to say that these past weeks I've realized just how many things you are to me, how many ways you are a part of my life. It's like you have become the stuffing in my Oreo and everyone knows that an Oreo just isn't an Oreo without the stuffing, You take that away and all you're left with is a couple of dry chocolate cookies that even Mrs. Field's would scoff."

Luke looked at her. "So, you realized you were lonely without me and you want to go back to the way things were, back to the comfortable, Luke is always there when I need him routine? I'm not sure I can do that Lorelai. I can't just be your stuffing and not get anything in return."

Lorelai sighed "Should have known better than to use a junk food allegory on a health nut. No, I don't just want you back in the same old comfortable space, I realized that I don't like my life without you in it."

"Lorelai, I've thought about it a lot, I've thought about little else for the last couple weeks. I can't go back to the way it was. I can't go back to not knowing if you will be around for good, if someday you will run and leave me broken. I don't think I could take that."

There was a long silence.

"What if I told you that I won't run?" she asked cautiously.

"I want to believe you." His tone was hopeful but his face said he didn't believe it.

Lorelai considered for a long moment and then grasped his hands in hers hardly noticing the icy chill "What if I told you that I won't run ever?"

Luke looked at his hands and Lorelai sensed impending doom and sped to intercept it. "What if I were to say that I know what I want now."

"You always think you know what you want." He said in a matter of fact tone that stung her with its honesty.

She shook her head and dispelled the last of her own lingering doubt. "No I mean the real kind of knowing." she reached out and put her hand on his chest over his heart feeling it's light rhythm even through the layers of flannel "in here, where there isn't any doubt or questions or hesitation."

He looked in her eyes. It was all there, everything he'd though and felt and denied for so long. Everything he wanted, needed, yearned for. He'd seen a lot of things reflected in those fluid pools over the decade of their acquaintance but he'd never seen this particular look. This look said she was offering him forever and if he took it she would be his. It burned him and chilled him at once and some part of him; the small defensive part that had protected him for so long raised its last red flag "Lorelai... I love you, I've loved you for a very long time, but you know that. What has really changed?"

The silvery blue intensified to a warm encompassing shine and her voice went low and compelling "Everything Luke. Everything has changed." And that was the truth she felt it click into some as yet unfilled corner in deep inside her. She had changed, she was no longer the Lorelai Gilmore who wanted to hit the ground running at even the mention of commitment or hyperventilated at the mention of the future. Blame pumpkin pie or seeing her daughter in love, blame her own mother for her stupid meddling that brought them to this impasse or Sookie with her half-baked plans. Lay the blame where you may, the end result was still the same. She had a decision to make and it was time to fish or cut bait.

Luke started to speak but she stopped him with her next words "Let's get married Luke."

He was speechless "Wh..."

"Marry me Luke." Her voice was stronger now, as everything seemed to click in to place inside her.

"Well...Wait... But..." Luke stuttered is shock the only thing he could think is that this was all happening so fast and so not the way he had pictured it "The guy is supposed to propose."

"Do I look like Mary Sue Traditionalist to you?" she asked with a little smile.

His brow furrowed. "I thought you wanted a proposal to be all flowers and romantic lighting and a string quartet."

She shrugged "Well, I would have brought you a flower but it's the middle of December and even Jackson's mutant Roselips aren't blooming in this snow, the string quartet, the brass band and the town troubadour all seem to be busy at the battle of the bands in the Gilmore garage, as for lighting, well, I'd have to say I think who ever is up in the heavens has done a pretty damn good job, couldn't have done it better myself." She pointed up at the silvery moon just peaking out from behind a bank of clouds and illuminating everything in it's luminescent light.

"You're already are so many things to me Luke. You listen to me when I need to rant and when I need to cry even though I know you hate tears. You drive me to the hospital when my father is ill despite your own ugly memories. You gave me a bed when I needed one, a shoulder to cry on when I was all alone. You have single handedly kept my house from falling down around my ears and helped me build my dream Inn. You've even stood by my side when I was too blind to see what I felt for you. You built me a chupah when I was goign to marry another guy. By god, you even tried to teach me to fish misguided as that effort might have been. If I look at most of my adult life the one constant is you. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, you never ran and you never deserted me. You are my rock. Now I want you to be my husband, my partner for the long haul."

So that's why you want to marry me? Because I'm the constant?"

"No." she paused and her hand floated up to brush his now ten o'clock shadow. "No." this time it was stronger "I want to marry you because you see me. You love me for who I am. You aren't going top try to change me or dress me or make me eat French food. You're the one. You're my Yoko."

"You stole that speech." He said with a little smile.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." She said with a return curving of lips.

"You've got an answer to everything" he shook his head a little at this truth.

"Not everything." Her tone had gone dead serious again and ended almost on a question. Her eyes were steady and shone warmly blue but he felt her hand clutch a little at his as if she were nervous, holding her breath, waiting for him to utter the words that would lead them one direction of the other. Words floated to the top of his mind... 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.' And it would, his decision in this moment would make all the difference. He paused for a moment and looked deep at the deep blue that beckoned him like a perfectly pristine lake and in one brave moment he took a breath and dove in.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Lorelai let out a whoosh of breath and the word was filled with relief.

"Okay... on one condition. I get to be John." He let his mouth tip into a smile.

"Move over Sgt. Pepper." She said with an answering grin.

"One other condition, I don't want this to be a big thing, I mean I know your family will be there and my family and some of the town but..." He was already contemplating the circus that this would most likely become.

Lorelai held up a hand to staunch the flow "I know, I know, before the rant starts, this is my preemptive rebuttal. I promise no Aunt Junie or Uncle Momo, no Bette Midler ballads and just to be on the safe side we'll nix the Chicken Kiev. Kirk will not be allowed within a ten-foot radius of a megaphone and there will be no heart shaped cookies at the engagement party. I'll make Sookie bake something suitably masculine. Maybe a hammer or a fish."

"Now you're just being obnoxious."

"Would you love me any other way? But seriously Sookie can make us a cake... I bet she can even make you one out of carrots or some other sort of rabbit food and we already have our religiously inappropriate Chupah, although I think the goat head is still missing, Lane's band can play at my house... what more do we need?" she asked in an excited rush.

"Rings." He said all of a sudden.

Her brow wrinkled in thought "Rings... right. Well, we can always get those later."

"No"

She gave him a surprised look "What do you mean no?"

He spoke excitedly now "I mean no. I already have a ring. In fact I have it right here." He began digging in his pants pocket, as she looked at him with shock plain on her face.

"You do?"

Luke shrugged a little "I did you bring you pumpkin pie, I thought I might have a chance to ask you but as usual Lorelai 'Speed Racer' Gilmore beat me to the punch. I was actually just going back for a second try when I heard you doing your little recital."

Lorelai was stunned for a moment and the words were caught in her throat for a long second "You were going to ask me? To marry you? And you bought a ring?"

"Well, no." he looked a little sheepish.

This brought the confusion back to her face. "No? You weren't going to ask me to marry you?"

"Yes and no."

"Okay, now I'm confused." She said in exasperation.

He tried to explain, "I was going to ask you to marry me but I didn't buy a ring."

"Oh." It was clear from her tone that she still didn't understand.

He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. "It's was my mom's ring."

"OH." She looked at the little box now with wide uncertain eyes.

He opened the little box and looked at it for a long moment before he pulled turned it an placed it in Lorelai's palm. It felt warm from being close to his body. Lorelai drew in a quick shaky breath as she looked at the lovely antiqued gold ring with the perfect oval cut diamond shimmering in the center like a tear drop captured in the moonlight.

Luke looked a little uncomfortable as she reached out with a slightly trembling hand to touch it. "I mean, I just thought it would be nice, I think she would like that you have it..."he trailed off as the silence stretched and then rushed on in a worried tone "If you don't like it, I'll get another one, anything you want, it was just an idea but you don't..."

Her eyes came up and a sheen of moisture sparkled on them making them more beautiful than the sparkle of the most expensive jewel. Her voice was a little throaty when she spoke. "No...it's beautiful"

"Well, it might not fit..." he took it out with a tiny tremor and grabbed her chilled hand. He fumbled a little but then managed to slide it onto her ring finger. Lorelai smiled a little as the circle of gold slid home on her finger and felt strangely warm against her skin despite the arctic conditions.

"Its perfect." She whispered and Luke felt a little catch in his throat as he stared at her hand as well and he heard the lingering whispers of his mother's voice in his ear.

She stared down at it, for once at a loss for words. It was perfect. The ring, the man, the moment, the way her heart suddenly wanted to soar on it's new found wings and her voice wanted to laugh and sing and shout from the rooftops. It was all perfect and all the detours and the wrong turns that they'd taken to get here suddenly melted into the paste.

All these years she'd been so afraid, to give her heart, to take the risk and now that she had she felt safe, secure, unafraid...happy.

She looked up at Luke with her eyes open to the future and she saw there a naked love that spilled from his eyes, flowed through his hands where they met hers and into her, warming her from the inside out.

She felt the tiny flakes of snow falling heavier now around them, the peacefulness that seemed to blanket the quiet town and she went with impulse. She pushed herself up to standing and then offered him her hand with her eyes shining impishly and her mouth curled in a helplessly goofy smile.

"Dance with me Luke Danes."

He could hardly have denied her and put his hand in hers despite a last question "Don't we need music?"

"We've got music in here." She patted her chest over her heart "Who needs a brass band when you can hear Louis Armstrong in stereo."

He rolled his eyes but came chest to chest with her willingly letting one hand wrap around her waist and the other grasp her hand to his heart "You're crazy you know that?" it was said in the most loving tone.

"I blame Melville." She said with a mischievous smile.

"I blame the booze." He said with a little laugh.

"I blame complete, insane, all consuming love." she said with the sweetest smile he'd ever seen.

"I'll dance to that." He breathed, Then he swung her into a deep dip before she could catch her breath or think of any retort and his mouth was descending to her neck, working it's way up to her half parted lips...and it was, just as the song in her head promised... a kiss to build a dream on.

Logan and Rory were deep in the labyrinths created by leaning ladders, sawhorses balancing teetering buckets of paint and milling drunken participants covered in colors usually encountered only in the much-eschewed aisles of a Toys R Us. Despite the fact that the honoree of this little gathering had left in search of her baker extraordinaire a half an hour earlier it appeared that no means aside from excessive force would shoehorn this little band of well wishers out of their ship of dreams. The margaritas were flowing, the paint splattering and they were not going easily into this dark night. They had come to conquer depression and by god they were going to conquer it if it took the last ounce of bubblegum pink paint in Connecticut to do it. Madison County has their bridges and Hartford County was going to have its cheerful multipurpose room if it took them all night to do it. Or at least that was the hue and cry of the last rousing speech that Jackson had given before passing out in Pepto-Bismol pink puddle on the floor.

Rory figured if all else failed they could rent it out as a waiting room for the local psych hospital because it was a certain bet that if it's occupants weren't crazy when they came in they would be by the time they left. Add a few candy strippers in matching uniforms and you had your very own crazy factory.

Speaking of candy strippers... Rory snapped her fingers and turned to Logan triumphantly. "I know...peppermint ice cream. That's what it looks like."

Logan tilted his head and furrowed his brow as he considered the scene. "Nope... I'm sticking with the inside of a seventies brothel designed by Doris Day."

Rory looked skeptical "Hey I liked Doris Day. Besides being relentlessly cheerful doesn't make one insane, just annoying."

"I win anyway. Peppermint ice-cream is just so uninspired." He said with a lofty tone.

"True but you have to admit it is tasty."

"Let me guess, now you're hungry." He said with a laughing tone.

Rory gave him an admiring look "You know Huntzberger I'm almost convinced that you're smarter than you look."

"Keep up the insults Ace and I'm keeping the plan for breaking out of this joint all to myself."

Rory nodded at the entrance to the garage that was currently all but being barricaded by the meddling matrons in triplicate. "You have a plan to get past the Three Fates over there in one piece?"

Logan gave her an arch look "I sense skepticism."

"You're very astute that way."

He looked wounded "You don't think I can do it.'

"You underestimate them. They were distracted before or they never would have let you in so easily."

Logan widened his eyes in mock shock "You're doubting my ability to charm my way past them. Five minutes of the Logan Huntzberger charm and I'll have them eating out of my hand."

"I highly doubt that. Miss Patty wrote the book on seduction." The light of challenge in her eyes was too much to ignore as her tone held certainty of doom. "Tell you what. You get past them without losing any clothing and I'll buy YOU an ice cream."

Logan smirked "I want something better than ice cream."

Rory looked astounded "What's better than ice cream?"

Logan smiled seductively and sidled a step closer "You with a cherry on top."

She flushed and stammered but he cut her off with a hearty kiss that took her deep quicker than she could blink and almost made her forget that most of the town was looking on from the cheap seats.

Sadly the catcalls and clapping broke the spell and she turned an even brighter shade of scarlet and glared at him a little as she caught her breath. "Don't encourage them." She hissed half under her breath.

Logan gave her an unrepentant grin. "Just demonstrating my much belittled talents Ace."

She snorted "Fine Romeo, let's see what you've got."

He smiled broadly the old wolfish smile of the Logan that she had met one day in front of a coffee cart. "Step aside Ace and let me show you how the experts do it."

He strutted towards the entrance to the garage with a cocky grace, agilely avoiding the myriad obstacles littering his path and Rory thought she might have crossed herself if she was Catholic. As it was there was nothing to do but follow him.

She picked her way across the scattered debris and came to stand behind him just as he took Miss Patty's hand and lifted it to his lips. His voice was silky smooth and his smile teasing "Sono onorato per spendere una notte cosí bella nella presenza di una stella cosí bella" _I am honored to spend such a lovely night in the presence of such a beautiful star_

His Italian dripped flawlessly like warm golden honey from his lips, of course. Rory rolled her eyes, she should have known, after all any good international playboy would have a sexy language under his belt. It was a tool of the trade so to speak.

Miss Patty all but purred in appreciation "Frederico Fellini couldn't have said it better, not that he didn't try that line on me a few times that summer I spent with him in Rome." She shivered delicately and then gave Logan a coquettish wink "Let's just say they don't call it a romance language for nothing." She switched to Italian herself as her lips melted into an adoring smile "Venire la visita me in qualunque momento il mio bel ragazzo." _Come visit me anytime my beautiful boy._

He gave a little suggestive eyebrow raise and a hundred watt smile "I'll keep that in mind." Then he turned to Babette who was fanning herself laconically on Miss Patty's left and repeated the hand kissing routine "E lei, la mia signora giusta, era il mio piacere dividere questo luogo magico con lei." _And you, my fair lady, it was my pleasure to share this magical place with you_

Sookie spoke in a loud whisper to Miss Patty "Okay, I sort of got the first part, something about beauty and stars, anyone who has ever watched a Sophia Loren film could get that much but all I got out of that one was something that sounded like magic."

Babette looked like she'd died and gone to heaven and answered Sookie without breaking eye contact with Logan whom she appeared to be trying to devour visually "It's all Greek to me honey but who the hell cares with an ass like that he could give that David guy a run for his money, the fancy talking is just icing on the cake." There was a flare of something licentious in Babette's eyes and Rory for a moment feared that she would be right after all and a strip show was in the making. She saw a tiny gulp from Logan as Babette appeared to tighten her grip and her other hand crept up to lock onto his arm at the elbow.

Miss Patty chuckled low and deep and sultry and winked at Logan as he tried to extricate his hand that seemed to be turning slightly blue from Babette's clutches and then she set a hand on the overwrought blonde's shoulder. "Now Babette let the poor boy go, what will Morry think?"

Babette shook her head vehemently "He's a free spirit, he'll understand, sometimes one has to give in to one's urges.'

Sookie looked slightly alarmed but Miss Patty remained calm and simply asked an off hand question "I understand urges honey but are you really going to go off and leave all those poor gnomes motherless for the sake of a moment of infatuation?"

Babette's brow wrinkled in obvious painful indecision and Logan managed to slide his hand another inch though he was still not completely free. Finally after a long moment of silence Babette sighed and let him go quickly causing him to nearly stumble backwards into Rory. "Sorry honey, I like you but you're just not worth leaving my family. I'll just have to make due with the memories of these golden moments. I hope you can forget what we had... I think it's for the best."

Logan gave Miss Patty a thankful look but then smiled down at Babette and said in a brave voice "I think my broken heart will mend eventually but I treasure our moments together." He backed up a step and sent a little air kiss to the three ladies "Ciao." He was careful to skirt a few feet away from the group on his way out the door and breathed a sigh of relief when he was free.

Rory followed closely on his heels as he headed out the door and their exchange was whispered while it seemed the whole world watched. Logan gave Rory a slanted look "See I survived, completely intact and with all my clothing still in place." He held out his arms a little as if checking that fact.

Rory laughed lightly "Sure, now you're all bravado and fish tales about how you escaped from JAWS, you can't fool me, I saw that panicked look in there, you thought you were a goner. How do you say 'dead meat' in Italian?"

"Funny, we can sign you up for a stint on Who's Line is it Anyway." When his sarcasm failed to break through Rory's superior smirk he threw up his hands in defeat "Fine, you win. What can I say? I'd really prefer to continue having four limbs for the rest of my natural life and Babette has a surprisingly strong grip for such a small woman."

Rory snickered "Did I forget to leave out the part about her winning the county arm wrestling championship five years running?"

Logan growled a little but couldn't help a little laugh, "You've got an evil streak, and you know that."

Rory shrugged "I've got a well developed survival instinct. You've got to be a little evil to survive Stars Hollow and my mom, the all good get eaten alive."

He stopped at the door to the limo breathing a little easier now that a good fifteen feet of snowy lawn separated him from the man-eaters. He grabbed Rory's hand and spun her around halfway so that she was standing with her back to the car. "Are they still watching?" he asked in a stage whisper.

She craned her neck to look over his shoulder and then nodded "Yep... I think Sookie just got out the binoculars."

He pushed her lightly until her back met the solid side panel of the car and he regained his flirtatious smirk "Good. What'd do you say Ace, should we leave them with an encore?"

Rory let her arms float up and circle his neck as his mouth dropped towards hers. "Might as well go for broke." She mumbled against his mouth and then she forgot where she was, who she was, what she was outside of a pliable warm puddle that molded to him. She thought that she really did love this boy inside and out... and then she ceased to think at all.

They resurfaced after a moment that felt too brief and grinned at each other like idiots before the hooting and cheering finally registered. Logan laughed out loud "I guess that was a crowd pleaser."

Rory smiled and willed her boneless head to raise and take in their surroundings. "I think you got a standing ovation."

Logan let his finger slide down her cheek and rest lightly on her chin "We... Ace, we got a standing ovation, much better show with two of us... a solo act would be silly not to mention criminal in some states."

"Good point." She pushed herself up and away from the car only to linger pulling playfully at the zipper on his jacket "So, you really have to go?"

Logan clasped both her wrists stilling the movements of her fingers and looked down at her "Trust me Ace, I'd much rather stay but my father will have my head if I'm not there soon. Things are tense as they are, I'm not ready for civil war just yet."

She sighed and looked up at him with limpid eyes "Go then, I don't want them to be angry with you."

He shrugged "To late for that preemptive strike but don't worry about me. Go back to your party. I'll see you soon."

She stepped away let him open the car door "Call me sooner."

He slid onto the seat and let her hand trail from his until his lips met her knuckles "Sognerò di lei finché incontriamo ancora il mio amore." _I will dream of you until we meet again my love_

He looked up into those sapphire pools and felt a little thrum in his heart. She smiled slowly and sweetly until her whole face seemed to bloom with it. "I'll hold you to that promise Huntzberger."

The door closed between them and then limo slid from the curb leaving Rory with her hand slightly outstretched and her heart fluttering. He had called her his love and nothing had ever felt so right.

Logan leaned back and let himself sink into the soft leather knowing that nothing would ever look quite the same after this night. The car seemed to float away from the house and through the town, he noticed things he had never thought to notice before, the beautiful icy sculptures formed by snow melt that had dripped over the eaves of quiet houses, the moonlight a it danced and refracted off the curves of white. They sailed past a couple dancing slowly in a structure that could only be the infamous boat to music only they could hear. Then they were passing the sign, the magical sign that served as portal to this entirely different world that existed right here in Connecticut. As the sign vanished from his view Logan wondered if he had left enough breadcrumbs to ever make his way out of this enchanted forest or whether he ever wanted to.


	54. High Noon

They danced under the moon in a half built boat as heaven's confetti softly fell around them. They didn't notice the cold. The kisses were the kind that warmed you all the way through, melting, endless, ecstatic kisses that seemed to go on forever.

They tripped on giddy feet through the gathering snow eager to revel in their newfound joy. Feeling the rise of exhilaration with each step that carried them towards greater celebration.

Then cold feet of reality kicked them solidly out of euphoria and they were hand in hand staring at the door of an innocuous looking garage and contemplating the future in a very different way. Lorelai felt the flush of excitement settle to an ember in her stomach taking a back seat to anticipatory nerves.

Lorelai gave Luke a darting sideways look as they paused as one. "We have to tell them. Right?" her voice held just a tinge of anxiety.

Luke was shaking his head gently in the affirmative but his grip on her hand tightened making the world around them come more sharply into focus. "They'll find out anyway."

She gnawed her bottom lip in thought "We want them to know, they are our friends. They'll be happy for us." Somehow it came out less of a statement and more of a question. There was a long pause as if they were each contemplating the truth of those words. Happy was an understatement and that was exactly what worried her. She shot another glance at Luke's resolute countenance and then hedged a little "Maybe we should wait."

Luke gave her a skeptical look.

"Maybe we should just elope." This time her smile was bright and hopeful and all together insincere.

Luke's lips twitched upwards but his voice was reluctant "I'd rather face a group of rabid jackals then tell Miss Patty that we eloped without her knowledge."

Lorelai pursed her lips and huffed "Yeah, I guess you've got a point."

They stared in tandem at the door again for a beat before Luke continued "It's probably a moot point anyway. Knowing the spy network around here I'm surprised they aren't out here waiting for us with handcuffs and truth serum."

She grimaced "I know. I know." And she did know but it didn't stop her from wanting to selfishly keep this moment just for herself a little bit longer. She knew deep down she was afraid that saying it out loud would tarnish it's shiny newness and make her start to doubt. "We have to tell them... but why not just wait until tomorrow, let this be our night." Her tone had turned wheedling but his face remained set and the look said he wasn't going to budge. She sighed, "Okay, okay, I know you're right." Her voice turned a tiny bit sulky "Since when did you become Mr. Town Spirit anyway?"

Luke just shrugged but secretly he wanted it done, he wanted the words captured by ears other than his so that he would no longer fear that this was all just a dream that any moment he would awaken from. Not that he didn't trust Lorelai, he did, but it never hurt to have witnesses.

Lorelai took a deep breath and crossed her arms but her feet wouldn't move. Luke watched for a moment and then gave a little cough. She didn't look at him but tightened her arms and spoke again her eyes glued to the garage doors "Okay, remember that time when we were talking about phobias and I said that nothing really scared me, well except for giant spiders and lizards of course, and that dream I once had of Kirk in a tutu wearing the hippo head..."

Luke's brow furrowed "That was a dream? I thought that's what he wore to the Founder's Day costume contest last year."

Lorelai grimaced and gave a little mock shiver "Right, you're right, in the dream he was wearing just the hippo head...much scarier."

Luke sighed, "You just couldn't keep that one to yourself could you?"

Lorelai shrugged but her smile was a tiny bit evil "Sorry but if we're going to get married then we have to get used to sharing everything and I do mean everything."

Luke gave a gruff snort "Are you trying to frighten me away already?"

Lorelai's eyes widened in a parody of innocence and she gave him an admonishing look "No, of course not. I just want to be sure that you know what you're getting. As I understand it there is no return policy on marriage." She ignored his snort "Anyway, my point was that I have a new phobia to add to the list... here's a hint, it involves bells, people humming here comes the bride every time I walk down the street and inane conversations about the yardage of taffeta needed to cover the town and weird discussions of cake decor."

Luke gave her a funny look "You love cake."

She grimaced "I love EATING cake, discussion of the twenty thousand possible shades of frosting and whether daffodils or roses look better in marzipan, not so much."

Luke shook his head stubbornly "You're just afraid to tell the town we're getting married."

She put her finger to her nose "Ding, ding, ding, you got it on one. That's why I love you, you're quick on the uptake."

"Let's just get it over with, we'll tell them together, it will be fine."

Lorelai muttered, "Yeah sure fine, we'll only be outnumbered 2 to 30 what could possibly go wrong? Margaritas, paint and a bunch of escaped circus freaks, nothing scary about that... if you're Alfred Hitchcock."

He pulled her arm until her hand came free from her defensive posture and let his hand slide down to grasp hers, He drew here around to face him and put a hand to her cheek "You know I'm not a big fan of the town hoopla thing but you and I both know we have to tell them. Besides Rory is in there."

She groaned a little but let her forehead fall to meet his "Nobody likes a bossy fiancé."

His hand came up and lifted her chin until her eyes met his. "I love you Lorelai and we're getting married, crazy as it may sound this is the one time I want to tell them all how happy we are." He got a mischievous little gleam in his eyes and a smiled slyly "Besides, can you imagine the look on Taylor's face."

She smiled wryly "Therapy needed after watching Kirk model wedding dresses, 200 dollars a session. Seeing Taylor turn the exact shade of an eggplant when we say our I dos...priceless."

He let his lips mold to hers again and linger for a long moment before they pulled apart. Lorelai gave a little sigh half happiness, half regret that the moment was over. Then she straightened her shoulders and grasped his hand a little tighter "I don't know, maybe we shouldn't go in there without a proton accelerator or a unlicensed nuclear accelerator strapped to our backs. You saw Ghostbusters, who knows what could be in there waiting for us."

Luke squeezed her hand and rolled his eyes "Come on Dr.Venkman, let's get this over with."

She gave him a proud smile. "See now that reference was almost worth it."

The party lasted for a week and it was Luke's worst nightmare come to life. There were balloons and streamers covering every available surface. The town troubadour seemed to have forgotten every song but the theme to Love Boat, and anything sung The Supremes, The Temptations or Marvin Gaye. It was like a Motown convention had come to town. There were polls taken on everything from the kind of flowers Lorelai should carry to the length of the aisle and Kirk had taken it upon himself to hold Best man auditions much to the chagrin of everyone within a five mile radius.

By Friday Lorelai thought that eloping was sounding better and better.

"So explain to me again why we can't go into Luke's?" Rory said from her half crouch behind the stairs of the gazebo.

Lorelai lowered the binoculars that she had been training on the window the diner and shivered delicately before she whispered in a frightened voice "Because, they're in there."

Rory was unimpressed "And who exactly would they be? You're not on your alien invasion kick again are you? I'm going to have to take away your Sci-Fi channel viewing privileges."

"No, no, this is much worse than talking plants and star gates, the whole LLL is in there look for yourself." She proffered the binoculars "Yesterday I barely made it out of there with my clothes on when Kirk pulled out his tailor's measuring tape and that is the last time I let them treat me like a full size voodoo doll, I still have marks from that sewing pin." She rubbed her hip petulantly then glowered in the direction of the diner "Besides I swear they were trying to fit me for a house arrest bracelet yesterday under the guise of trying on jewelry."

Rory laughed unapologetically "Well, you do have a record of sorts."

Lorelai shot her a dirty look "Come on, not you too, I'm reformed I swear, no Runaway Bride this time. I wouldn't do that to Luke."

Rory wisely changed the subject "The LLL huh, is that anything like the KKK?"

"Much much worse." This time the shudder was meant to be melodramatic.

Rory shook her head and laughed, "They're just excited. You can't blame them, they've been waiting a long time for this."

Lorelai glared at her "Whose side are you on any way?"

Before Rory could answer there was a piercing whistle behind them and Kirk's voice bellowed across the square helped along by the bullhorn he was carrying "I found her. Lorelai is here, no need for the amber alert, call off the search dogs before they eat Mrs. Bergman's front step again."

Rory and Lorelai whirled with guilty looks on their faces but Lorelai's quickly turned accusatory as she spun towards Rory "I knew it, you're an informant, you're a double agent, I should have suspected it otherwise how would they have found us so easily?"

Rory gave her an exasperated look "maybe it has something to do with the fact that we were hiding in plain sight in the middle of the town square, ever think of that Sydney?"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes "I knew I should have searched you for a wire, you've got that shifty look around the eyes."

Rory rolled her eyes "You're paranoia is starting to show mom."

Kirk interrupted officiously "Sorry to interrupt Lorelai but if you'll just join us in the diner, we have some blueprints of the cake table that we need your input on."

"The cake table needs blueprints?" Lorelai's eyes widened slightly.

Kirk gave a little shiver of horror "Of course, do you know how many wedding tragedies have occurred because of insufficient support measures for the cake table? I won't go into the gory details; they're too horrible to contemplate. Suffice it to say I had this nightmare last night that involved you being crushed by fifty pounds of chocolate icing and fondant ribbons and it was not a pretty picture, could have given those CSI guys a run for their money."

Lorelai rolled her eyes expressively at Rory as she asked sweetly "Has anyone ever told you that you need to get a life Kirk?"

Kirk look startled at this question "Then who would prevent you from being squashed into oblivion by your wedding cake?"

Lorelai sighed as Rory snickered "Fine. I'm bend to the will of the LLL. Lead on good sir."

Kirk gave her an admonishing look "Didn't anyone tell you we changed the name? Now we call ourselves the Happy Endings for Luke and Lorelai committee."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow as she took in this moniker and then smiled slowly "So you're the HELL Committee?"

Kirk looked thoughtful; "I hadn't thought of it that way but yes."

Lorelai couldn't stop a helpless snort in Rory's direction "Somehow that's surprisingly fitting." She started after "You coming kid? I might need back up in there with those hellions."

Before Rory could answer the phone in her pocket rang. She gave Lorelai a little shrug and pulled the phone form her pocket with an insincere smile. "I better get this, it might be important." She gave a little wave "You go on, I'll catch up."

"Traitor." Lorelai hissed "Just for that I'm going to let Kirk pick the color of the bridesmaid dresses, I hear he's had his eye on some very nice magenta taffeta."

Rory just rolled her eyes as she flipped open the phone,

Lorelai gave a sigh and turned to gesture to the Diner "Lead on George Burns."

Kirk frowned "I think he played God not the devil..."

"Actually not to confuse the issue but I think he played both...kind of like Hayley Mills in the Parent Trap. You know that's what I really need right now, a twin, then you could torture the twin and I could only do the fun scenes. Damn my mother for only having one of me."

Kirk's tone was conversational "You know I hear they are getting close to cloning humans, that might solve your problem. I'm thinking of having myself cloned one day."

The last thing Rory heard before their voices trailed off as they headed for the diner was Lorelai's heartfelt "God help us."

She answered with a laugh still in her voice. "Hello." The urge to giggle didn't last long and died in her throat as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line. "Dad? Uh... hi..." It was as much a question as a greeting.

Christopher felt the sting of that surprise and hesitation clear in Boston but he persevered. He was calling for a reason and he wasn't going to let a little bruise to his ego stop him from accomplishing his goal. He was nervous though and he had to force his voice over the slight tightness in his throat. He went for brevity so as to not prevent the agony for long and got right to the point "Rory, uh, hi, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. I was calling to see if you were available to have lunch next week sometime." He cursed inwardly the minute he heard the words leave his mouth, he sounded like some sort of stiff businessman setting an appointment with a client. He pushed on though in an attempt to cover his discomfort. "My treat of course." He slapped himself on the forehead on the other end of the phone and wondered when he'd been possessed by his father.

There was a beat of surprised silence and then Rory found her voice "Lunch?"

Christopher sighed almost inaudibly; clearly this conversation was not getting off to the start that he had hoped for. He couldn't keep a tiny bit of tartness out of his reply "Yeah, lunch, you know that daily ritual where you sit down at a table and consume food and a nearly illegal quantity of coffee."

Rory couldn't quite contain a tiny smile and her voice took on a dry note "I think I'm familiar with the concept. I believe maybe the surprise was incorrectly inflected. What I meant was lunch with YOU?" The emphasis was more than clear this time.

Christopher almost chuckled but sobered quickly when he remembered his purpose "Yes. Lunch with dear old dad...minus the old part of course. I've been thinking that it's about time that we got together and...talked."

"We're talking right now." Rory said feeling a little leery about the idea of sitting down across a table from her father after all that had happened in the last few months, their discourse had been strained at best before her grandparent's re-wedding but nonexistent since and she wasn't sure that breaking that silence was such a good idea right now.

This time the sigh was audible and Rory could almost picture Christopher scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration "Look Rory I have great respect for the Gilmore silent treatment as a choice weapon but don't you think it's time to lay down the weapons and hammer out some sort of truce? If the Middle East can do it surely we can too."

"We're not at war." She said defensively knowing even as she said it that the statement wasn't entirely true.

Christopher knew it too "I didn't mean it that way, I just thought it was about time to open the lines of communication again. I've missed you. I just want to know how you are doing. That you are okay."

"I'm fine." The response was automatic but something of his words had gotten to her and Rory bit her bottom lip uncertainly before she finally said "We've gone long periods without talking before, why is this so important to you?"

Christopher gritted his teeth against the slap of that slight accusation in her voice and answered as honestly as he could "You're my daughter Rory and although I might not always have been the world's greatest dad that means something to me, it has always meant something to me even when I was really, really bad at showing it. I have things to say to you and I want to say them in person." He hurried on when the silence lengthened,

"You don't even have to talk, you can just listen. How bad could it be? Free lunch, all the coffee you want and the only price I ask is a little face time." His voice bordered on cajoling and Rory felt herself weakening despite the litany of all the reasons that it could be very bad.

"I don't know..."

Christopher heard the note of capitulation even if it was still couched in hesitation and breathed a little sigh of relief. He knew if he could just get her to listen to his apology he could get things back on track with her, he was good at apologies and apologizing to Gilmore girls was something he had made into a near art form. Feeling more confident he pushed onward "Look Rory, I just want a chance to clear the air and I think it's better done in person. You can pick the time and the place... I'll even wear clown shoes and a big red nose if it will get you there. Just give me a chance to say what I have to say, that's all I'm asking."

She considered for another long moment. "Fine, but it's got to be in Hartford and I'm driving my own car."

Christopher could hear the relief bubbling out of his own voice "Of course, whatever you want. Your wish is my command."

"Montgomery's in Hartford" she said with little preamble eager now to end the stilted conversation and saying the first fancy restaurant that came to mind from hearing Logan mention it as his father's favorite. "When?"

"How about Tuesday, nice neutral day, Tuesday."

"Okay, Tuesday. I'll meet you there at 12."

"High noon it is kid" there was a little pause "and Rory"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"I'll see you there." She hung up without another word and then stared for a long moment at the phone as if wishing the conversation undone or the day to be Wednesday with the lunch from hell far behind her. Then she resolutely stuffed it back in her pocket and tried to push all thoughts of family battles from her head.

She plopped down with a heavy sigh across from her mom and when that failed to elicit a response from Lorelai whose eyes appeared glued to some sort of action going on at the counter she grabbed a French fry from her mom's plate and bit in rather savagely.

"Did you say hi to lover boy for me?" Lorelai asked her attention still distracted.

"It wasn't Logan." Rory said shortly, unreasonably irritated about the whole thing.

The tone snagged Lorelai's attention "Who was it then?"

Rory scuffed the toe of her shoe against the table leg and stared contemplatively at the cold fry in her hand "Dad."

"Your dad?" Lorelai's eyebrows went up in surprise.

Rory gave her an undeservededly short response "Of course, whom else do you think I would be talking about?"

"Okay, okay, chill out Willis, I was just trying to get the facts straight." Lorelai took a bite of fry and chewed contemplatively now focused completely on her daughter's miserable expression "So, what did the excommunicated want?"

"Lunch."

Lorelai tried for a note of humor "And he needed you to explain the procedure?"

Rory gave her a dark look "Lunch with me...in Hartford."

Lorelai went through a rapid succession of emotions but settled almost immediately on feigned nonchalance "Oh. So are you going to go?"

Rory stared at her fry as if trying to bend it with her mind like the kid in the Matrix then finally looked up and met her eyes. "Yeah. You aren't mad?"

Lorelai gave a little sigh of regret that Rory felt guilty for talking to her dad just because of her convoluted history with him and not for the first time wished that her life could just be simple. She laid a hand on her daughters and for once was serious "Look we had plenty of reasons to be mad at him and he deserved a good silent treatment but I don't expect that you're going to lock up your relationship with him and throw away the key, he is your father, at some point you'll have to talk to him again," she paused and couldn't help a slightly lighter note "who knows someday you might need part of his liver or something."

Rory gave her a nonplussed look "Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean, family is family whether you like it or not."

That got a raised eyebrow "I think being engaged has addled your brain."

She shrugged and grabbed another fry "Look it's up to you, of course, but if I were you I'd go, get it over with, no time like the present and all that jazz, It's just lunch, go, order lots of food and chew everything a hundred times, you'll hardly have to say a word trust me, that trick got me through a zillion obligatory dinners with my parent's country club cronies. I'll even lend you my flask that is cleverly disguised as a purse if you think it will help."

"Because drinking in the middle of the afternoon is the healthy adult thing to do."

"It got me through more cotillions than you could imagine."

"Gee mom thanks for the sympathy."

"Listen, I just had to sit through a fashion show of my potential wedding night lingerie with Kirk as the model. Gives whole new meaning to the term Full Frontal, so don't talk to me about sympathy."

Rory ate another fry for lack of a better retaliation. She really didn't want to win this particular game of one-upmanship. Lorelai suddenly grabbed her arm across the table her eyes riveted back on the entrance to the diner where Kirk had just burst in, a pair of playboy bunny ears still on his head but otherwise clothed with a stack of index cards and headed for the counter. He grabbed a fork immediately and began tapping it against a water glass in front of him "Ladies and Gentleman, if I could have your attention..." he cleared his throat when all eyes turned towards him expectantly and then began with a great flourish to recite from a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

After the first few lines Lorelai leaned over with a gleam in her eye "You so owe me a buck."

Rory glared and whispered back "I do not... you cheated...I'm sure of it and cheaters don't get paid."

"I'm only going to say this once so you'd better get it on the record the first time." Lorelai paused for effect "I did NOT cheat."

"You're telling me that Kirk came up with Jimmy Stewart's speech from A Wonderful Life all by himself?" Rory gave her mom her best skeptical look keeping a straight face with difficulty as Kirk waxed dramatic.

Lorelai gave an insulted sniff "I never mentioned it to him, not once."

Rory's eyebrow climbed "Uh huh, and you're telling me there was no subliminal suggestion made at any point in the last 48 hours?"

"Your suspicions wound me. You think I would really stoop that low for a lousy buck?'

"Yep." Rory paused and then her eyes narrowed and her finger pointed accusingly "Wait, I just remembered, the DVD wasn't in the case, I wanted to watch it last night and it was missing...You lent him the movie. That was dirty."

Lorelai gave her a haughtily affronted look "Hey, I do not remember anything in the bet that said that I couldn't lend a friend what is possibly the best seasonal movie for this time of year, so sue me for being a good pal."

Rory crossed her arms and gave her a mother a stern look "No way you're getting my money on this one. That was clearly in violation of the spirit of the wager."

Lorelai sniffed again "You're just a sore loser."

Rory refused to rise to the bait and turned back to Kirk's one man show "So what do you think, will Luke go for it?"

"Nah, it was just fun to manipulate Kirk like he is my very own marionette and I am the puppet master. I think it's a tough call at the this point, the Mae West and the Mick Jagger were a little too out there even for me but Kirk's Katherine Hepburn impression was so dead on I think he could give Cate Blanchettt a run for the Oscar. Personally I'm still leaning towards the Woody Allen and the Karl Marx though."

"Sure, because there is nothing like a communist and an atheist to toast a wedding the right way."

"Exactly." Lorelai grinned as she settled back in her chair for the rest of the extemporaneous speech.

Rory was nervous and when she was nervous she always arrived early a habit which she was currently cursing as she was forced to make her third loop past the valet station at the restaurant. "Great" she muttered to herself "Pretty soon they're going to call in security because they think I'm casing the joint."

It wasn't until the fifth turn that she recognized a familiar Volvo signaling in front of her and breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled to a stop just behind her dad's bumper. The relief lasted until her dad saw her and waved. She raised a hand in a tentative return wave and then took a deep breath. All the thoughts from the past few days flew through her brain. What would she say, what would he say, how could this possibly end in anything but another big mess? She let out the breath in a whoosh when he knocked on the window and after a slight embarrassed smile she turned off the car and slid reluctantly from her seat.

Christopher leaned on the top of the car on the opposite car and gave her an equally uncertain smile. "So you want to drive around a few more times and case the joint for your big hold up or you want to have lunch?"

She tittered a little nervously at how closely their thoughts matched and closed the door resolutely. She could do this. Despite his many faults and numerous mistakes he was still her dad and she could at least do him the courtesy of sitting through lunch with him.

She pasted a wan smile on her face and handed off the keys to the valet as she rounded the car. She stopped a couple of feet from Christopher and twisted her fingers in front of her a bit nervously as she looked at him. "Uh, hi."

He cleared his throat a little "Hi." He stepped forward in a customary greeting hug but stopped halfway into the gesture leaving them clasped in an awkward half hug. He coughed again in embarrassment as he backed up a step after a tense moment. Silence reigned with a heavy hand as they looked at each other, neither entirely certain about how to proceed. Finally Christopher gestured at the door to the restaurant with one hand. "Shall we?"

Rory started out of her daze as if given an electric shock. "Oh, yeah...I mean yes. We don't want to be late for our reservation."

Christopher cracked a small smile "Right, I hear these four star places have a strict tardy policy and we might end up doing the dishes in detention."

Rory just blinked up at him, once, twice as his smile died.

"Sorry, I forgot, strict moratorium on humor until after the first course." He gestured again at the door. "After you milady." She headed for the door and he followed with a muttered epithet under his breath "damn... tough room, she got that from her mother. Nothing like a Lorelai scorned to make you feel as unwanted as dog hair on her sweater."

Rory gave him a funny look as they reached the maitre' de but then returned her gaze to the very tall man in the fancy uniform behind his small podium. Christopher spoke up when pierced by the man's haughty gaze that all but accused him of any number of unnamed sins. "Uh, reservation for Hayden please."

"Right this way sir." The man's haughty features melted into a semblance of a smile that came off more as a grimace and Rory was reminded of Lurch from the Addams family. She had no doubt that Lorelai would have been snapping her fingers as they walked just to irritate the poor guy and she suddenly wished she was anywhere but here, face to face with her newly re-estranged father with too many taboo subjects and no ability to joke loosely as they always had before. She gave Christopher a little sickly smile as Lurch directed them into the dining room.

She followed the imperious giant mutely her mind racing yet again over what they could possibly say to one another. She couldn't talk about Luke and her mom for many obvious reasons, she didn't want to talk about Logan after their last unfortunate run in and she couldn't even talk about Stars Hollow because all that went on there these days was wedding planning and celebrations. What did that leave? The weather which had been annoyingly mild and had provided hardly any fodder for discussion, sports about which Rory knew little and cared even less...how about a good session of Yale trivia. She sighed at the inevitably painful hour that was to come. Maybe if she just ate really fast they could cut it to thirty minutes and her self-inflicted incarceration would be over sooner than expected. She kind of doubted it though, Lurch and his monkey-suited crew didn't seem all that disposed toward fast food eating. What she wouldn't do for a hamburger and fries right now...much better suited to scarfing than some teensy tiny salad that had to be eaten in itty-bitty bites.

She looked glumly around the cold, elegant room and wondered how well hidden the emergency exits were and whether she could sneak out of one on the pretense of going to the ladies room. Her eyes were just sailing past a pair of men at a table in front of them as they marched through the restaurant when the one facing her dropped his menu and revealed a very familiar face that startled her right out of her escape plan hatching.

Saturday night at his father's party had been every bit as bad as Logan had expected... and then some. It seemed that every annoying, obsequious butt kisser that his father employed, and he had a penchant for them so they made quite a posse, had collected for the gala event. He'd known from the second he stepped into the room that his father had two goals in mind that had led to his requested presence there. First to rake him over preferably scorching hot coals about his tardiness and second to marry him off to the first blue blooded, pedigreed, money dripping bitch that matched the breed standard post haste and his choice of potential suitors had gone from insulting to down right frightening since the last one of these little mating rituals.

Logan deliberately stopped for a drink as he met his father's narrowed eyes across the room and then just as deliberately turned his back on him and retired to a dark corner of the room where he spent the rest of the evening deliberately insulting every woman under the age of thirty five who made it within ten feet of him. He was sick of the game, sick of playing by his father's rules and had told him exactly that when Mitchum had finally cornered him for a tongue-lashing. The night had gone down hill after that aided by too many scotches and too few friendly faces. He wished he'd had the guts to bring Rory with him that would have shown his father once and for all. Unfortunately between exchanged barbs, avoidance maneuvers and slogging down scotch by the quart he hadn't quite gotten around to mentioning Rory.

Nor had the occasion presented itself in the next couple days after his parent's had flown off to some to do in New York and he had headed back to the Connecticut house for some much needed quiet sans dear old dad. He'd put the party out of his mind and amused himself with a few good books and numerous conversations with friends. Rory had told him in great colorful detail about the carnival of wedding planning, Finn had called from Japan where he had supposedly fallen madly in love with a girl who liked to dress up like an anime character and Colin had even called to exhort him for suggestions about what to get Stephanie for Christmas. All in all in had been a surprisingly relaxing holiday break so far. That was until today when he'd gotten the curt summons from his father's secretary to meet for lunch at exactly 11:45 sharp. The don't be late or else was pretty much implied and for once Logan had complied.

In fact over the past few days he had saved up a good number of choice conversation topics and for once he wasn't going to shy away from the gun pointed at his head. He was going to tell his father exactly what he thought of his manipulation and attempts to control every aspect of his life.

It started as it always did with curt greetings and a silent battle of wills, menus up, weapons discreetly sheathed but ready to draw at a moment's provocation. Logan felt one fleeting instant of regret that this is what his relationship with his father had come to but then shook it away resolutely. They would never have anything more than this if he didn't stand up to him.

He didn't know exactly why he had been called here today or what new axe his father had to grind with him but he was about to take control of the opportunity and get some things out in the open that had been in the closet for far too long. He lowered his menu slightly and started to speak in a firm cold voice. "I don't know what your agenda is for this meeting Dad but there are some things I need to say to you so I guess I'll be the one to get this party started."

Taking a deep breath he dropped his menu the rest of the way to look at his father but instead met startled blue eyes just in his line of sight over his father's shoulder, the accompanying voice gave him a little chill "Logan?"

Logan had never believed in all that nonsense about your life passing before your eyes in an instant. But then he'd never really had much of a life to lose before Rory entered it, the Rory that was now walking towards him with her eyes pinned on him in surprise.

"Ace?' He stood before he could stop himself in some vain attempt to cut off her advance towards the table. In some desperate idiotic corner of his mind he almost thought that if he could deflect her quickly enough he could avoid what was an inevitable mess.

As soon as she was a step away from the table he grabbed her by the hand and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She seemed confused by this but recovered quickly and smiled at him. "Logan, I didn't know you were going to be in Hartford today, you should have called me we could have gotten together."

His mind raced in panic as he heard the menu drop at the table behind him and he debated the delicate balancing act that he would have to accomplish if he were going to get out of this alive. He thought fast, winging it was a sort of specialty of his so he should have been prepared for an instance just like this but one thought kept tripping up his agile mind and that was the picture that floated into his mind's eye of Rory's sea blue eyes painted with hurt. He spit out the first thing that came to mind "I thought you would be busy with all the wedding planning and dress fittings and all those other important things that have to be figured out by a maid of honor."

She smiled at the thought of the crazy town celebrations which she had told Logan about in great detail on the phone last night, she'd been laughing so hard she'd barely been able to get out the re-enactment of Kirk's Godfather speech. She laughed a little now, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease a bit and Logan let out an internal sigh of relief when it appeared his attempts at distracting her attention from his dining companion had been more successful than anticipated.

She rolled her eyes playfully "Trust me there are only so many tiny bride and groom cake toppers that one can look at before one goes completely cross-eyed, even the most loyal and devoted daughter has to have a lunch break now and again." The smile died instantly and her eyes widened as she remembered the real reason for the lunch break. "Oh God..." she whispered in horror just as a man stopped behind her right shoulder. A man that Logan suddenly recognized from their last unfortunate meeting as Rory's father.

Christopher's voice was deliberately light. "What's all this talk about weddings? Is there something I should know about you two?" he asked it with a playfully suspicious tone. Then without room for an answer from the squirming uncomfortable Rory or the astonished looking Logan he smoothly continued. "Don't worry kids, your secret is safe with me. My lips are sealed." He gave them both a conspiratorial wink that was met by horrified stares and then held out his hand "Nice to see you again Logan." When Logan just stared at the outstretched hand for a beat like he had just proffered a deadly snake rather than a handshake Christopher gave an easy smile "Don't worry, this time I just thought we should meet formally before I start in with the threats."

Logan forced a tiny smile but didn't know what to say, in fact had no chance to do much of anything but grasp Christopher Hayden's hand and see his life flash before his eyes in Technicolor for the second time in five minutes. There was a not so discrete cough behind him and the whole trio spun as one towards the older blonde man who was sitting at the table still with a considering look on his face. He smiled with oily smoothness and stood regally and meticulously brushed at what Rory was sure was an imaginary speck of lint on his impeccably tailored suit. He spoke to Christopher first, man to man as if Rory and Logan were mere children to be seen and not heard. He proffered a hand in greeting "I'm Mitchum Huntzberger, it seems you already know my son who apparently has forgotten his manners this afternoon." He barely spared his son a glance but Rory saw Logan's jaw clench in reaction to the jab.

"Christopher Hayden" Christopher said falling instantly into the role he'd been bred to play from birth. He instantly disliked the man with the cold calculating brown eyes but he knew how the game was played and he wasn't about to let his daughter become a casualty of it due to his ineptitude just when they had a chance of getting back some of the relationship they had lost in the past months. His hand shake had just the right amount of force, just the right amount of give to tell the man that he wasn't about to bow and scrape just because the other man seemed to think he was due a royal welcome. Their grip released and he was about to turn to introduce Rory but she beat him to it.

Rory's eyes had widened to saucer size when Logan's companion had introduced himself and now she leapt in joyfully, forgetting all social niceties and grasping the older man's hand and pumping it exuberantly "Mr. Huntzberger, the Mitchum Huntzberger, I can't believe I'm finally getting to meet you. I am such an admirer of your work, the exclusives you've gotten in your career, Madeline Albright, Margaret Thatcher. You are an icon. When I was ten my mom had laminate that story you did about the Mikhail Gorbachev because I read it so many times the ink was starting to rub off." She beamed at him. "It is so nice to finally meet you in person."

Logan cursed his luck as he saw his father's eyes go sharp with calculation and then that nasty little cat with the canary smile began at the corner of his mouth. Of course to the casual listener he was all urbane charm as he smiled down at the young woman with the excited blue eyes and the porcelain complexion. "It is certainly nice to meet a young woman with such discerning journalistic taste." Rory blushed a little as he continued smoothly. "I assume with that intellect that you must be a friend of Logan's from Yale."

Rory hesitated a second as if confused by the comment. "Yes." She paused and a tiny frown marred her forehead and then quickly smoothed out as she smiled sheepishly as if she had only just realized her mistake. "I'm so sorry, god I am so rude, and I ramble when I get excited, genetic defect." She abruptly realized that she was doing it again and clamped her lips shut before smiling again. "I'm Rory Gilmore."

There wasn't even a flash of recognition in the eyes that were so similar to Logan's and that threw Rory a little off balance. She cast a tiny sidelong glance at Logan with a hint of confusion in her gaze before she focused back on his father and what he was saying. "Well Miss Gilmore it is a pleasure to know that my son is finally starting to make some distinguished acquaintances at that school, I hope you can give him a few pointers on journalistic enthusiasm he seems to find it amusing to snub his nose at the idea of a byline when ever possible."

Rory was disconcerted by the obvious lack of recognition that her relationship with Logan was anything other than as a co-worker but she rallied and pressed on with a bright smile and a dangerous look in Logan's direction. "I'll do my best sir."

She waited a beat for Logan to jump in, waited a second beat for him to correct his dad, to name her as his girlfriend but there was nothing but silence that filled those beats.

Logan was frozen by the look of calculated satisfaction in his father's eyes when he saw the opening and was powerless to stop it even as he saw his father draw breath to press home the advantage. He did it so smoothly, so coldly that it barely stung until after the fact. He nodded pleasantly and withdrew his hand from Rory's with precision reaching into his suit pocket for a business card and his cell phone. He handed the card to Rory with a little smile. "We're always looking for interns in the summer. Give my office a call and we'll be glad to give you an application."

Rory looked at the card her head reeling with the odd twists and turns of events in the past moments. "Uh, thanks."

Mitchum nodded "My pleasure to help a rising journalistic star on their way up the ladder." He flipped open his cell phone "Now, if you'll excuse me I have a phone call to make that simply can't wait, pardon my rudeness."

"Oh, uh, sure." Rory nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Mitchum smiled as if pleased with the interaction and nodded at them before imparting his final shot "Again, nice to meet you Christopher, Lori, hopefully our paths will cross again." And he turned, well aware that he left the wounded and bleeding in his wake and smiled to himself.

Rory gaped at his back for a whole second and then turned wide uncomprehending eyes on Logan her mouth working but not making a sound. Logan seemed similarly frozen in place and it was Christopher who finally leapt in to save the day. Super dad to the rescue Rory thought with a dazed mind.

Christopher put a hand on Rory's back and reached the other hand out to Logan "Logan, good to see you again, I think we best be going though before the Addam's family guy over there comes after us with a fork." He gestured to the highly impatient maitre'de who was hovering a few feet away and then steered Rory down the aisle with a gentle push.

Rory nodded without speaking fearing that she had lost all power to do that and pushed her feet numbly forward. Her mind was racing, raving, screaming inside her skull. They had been dating for months, he knew her mother, he knew her father, she'd told the idiot she loved him for god sake and yet there his father sat obviously never having heard of her existence or her involvement in his son's life. She didn't know what to do, what to say, all she knew was she wanted to run as far away from the clink of crystal and the soothing Chopin in the background and the smell of the lilies gracing the tables with their white linen overcoats.

She fell into the seat that he held out for her and stared blindly at the white line of the napkin folded so delicately in front of her. Then finally she looked up; saw the look of concern in her father's eyes. The look that said that he would gladly stride back across that twenty feet of space and punch Mitchum Huntzberger's lights out for hurting his little girl and all of a sudden all the months of tension and disagreement, awkward moments and heated words melted away and there they were, a daughter who loved her dad despite his faults and a father who only wanted her to be happy. Nothing like a little emotional trauma to bring a family back together.

She even managed a little smile as she leaned across the table and used every ounce of will power at her disposal to keep her voice steady "I love white linen and tiny forks as much as the next girl but do you think maybe we could take a rain check on the fancy lunch?"

Christopher smiled in relief that Rory had snapped out of her fugue state and then shook his head in the negative when an idea dawned on him "I'll do you one better, I think what we need here is a change of venue, some place without William Randolph Hearst over there where we can eat our weight in grease."

Her smile brightened fractionally "I could use a burger and fries right now, maybe some pie and a chocolate milkshake..."

He smiled good naturedly as held up a hand to stop the litany "I know just the place and lucky for us it's just down the street."

The relief was like a bright beacon on her face. "That sounds good." She paused then and glanced around just as she noticed that a waiter was headed their direction "But how do we get out of here without making a scene."

Christopher just smiled knowingly "Oh, don't you worry kid I'm a pro at this. I lost count long ago of the number of fancy restaurants that your mother and I snuck out of. Even as a kid she wasn't a big fan of the tiny salads and delicate soup slurping. There was even one time that involved crawling through air ducts but I won't bore you with the clandestine details."

She laughed a little helplessly "I'm a novice at this so you'll have to walk me through the whole sneaking out of a fancy restaurant thing."

"No need, I've got a plan and you'll just slow me down. You excuse yourself and go to the ladies room and I'll meet you there." He checked his watch "In two minutes."

She nodded and then whispered surreptitiously "Should we synchronize our watches or something like in the spy movies?"

"A proud day for fatherhood." He rolled his eyes and then shooed her with a little wink just before the waiter reached their table.

She went, careful to take a path that did not walk her by the table where she could see Logan and his father now in what appeared to be heated discussion. She was so not ready to deal with that. For now she was all for drowning her doubts in pie and coffee.

Christopher was true to his word and two minutes later they were ducking out the side door of the restaurant and making a run for it.

They were winded and even laughing a little by the time they slid into a booth at a diner two blocks from the restaurant.

Christopher flipped open the menu with some relish and glanced up at her "The grease quotient in this place could even give the fabled Luke's a run for its money I promise."

Rory smiled a little trying resolutely to push thoughts of Logan and his father from her mind. "Those are fighting words where I come from, good thing I worked up an appetite with that little jog over here."

"Not to mention I seem to remember Gilmore's assuage their pain with junk food quantities that would make Andrew Weil gasp in shame."

Rory's smile faltered slightly "There is that."

The waitress took their order and then there was a moment of awkward silence as they looked at each other across the chipped Formica and Rory played with her fork unsure what to say now that the ice was broken but so many new problems had reared their ugly heads.

Christopher took a healthy swig of the hot coffee the waitress had just poured before he cleared his throat ""So... I know I'm not your mom and I don't have a million witty repartees for the situation but do you want to talk about it?"

Rory continued to toy with her spoon "You mean the fact that my boyfriend's father, the boyfriend that I've been dating for several months and just professed my love for, has never heard of me. No, I'd really rather not rehash that if you don't mind but thanks for asking."

Christopher debated for a moment and then ventured another comment "I don't mean this as a defense or anything but I kind of know what it's like to grow up with parents like that so maybe you should at least wait to hear his side of the story before you indict him. You know, just cut him a little slack."

Rory scoffed at that "This from the guy who wanted to beat him to a pulp at first meeting?"

Christopher held up both hands to say you got me "It was the scotch talking I swear."

Rory sighed, "I know and I know you mean well but can we just change the subject to anything else, please. Let's talk about the weather, sports, Yale, Gigi... anything but Logan."

There was an awkward silence for a beat as the waitress brought their food and then Christopher gave a little self effacing laugh and picked up his fork and toyed with it for a second before looking back at Rory and jumping into the subject he had been dreading "So your mom is getting married huh?"

Rory froze mid bite and cursed her big mouth. "Darn, I was really hoping you didn't hear that."

"I have ears like a bat when I want to." He said with a half apologetic smile. Then he gave her a serious look "I want her to be happy that's all, I love your mom but I just need to know that I didn't ruin everything for her with my stupid selfish shenanigans."

Rory looked at him silently for a solid minute and she could see that he was sincere and realized that it was as much of an explanation or apology as she ever needed, finally she put her fork down "Well it does seem like the day for the unveiling of secrets."

It was two hours later and they'd eaten their way through at least a third of the menu before they were headed back to the restaurant valet to try to get their cars out of hock. Christopher's car came around first and he turned to Rory with a warm smile "Do you want me to wait until they bring yours around, you never know what kind of riffraff might be lurking outside a fancy place like this."

She shook her head but she was smiling "No, that's okay, it shouldn't be long." This time she was the one to step forward and initiate the hug.

Christopher felt better than he had in months as his daughter's arms tightened around him and he swore that this time he was going to do everything in his power not to screw up again. They parted at last and he turned to get in his car. He paused as her voice stopped him "Thanks dad, you were great today."

He smiled with a little half wave "We're even. As long as you promise you won't be a stranger... you know I do have that new fangled thing called email...even a cell phone."

"I promise." She said with a smile "Say hi to Gigi for me as well."

He gave her a little nod "Give my congratulations to your mom and Luke."

Rory nodded in return "Consider the message delivered."

"Love you kid."

"You too dad."

She still had a hand up in a wave as her own car pulled forward in front of her. Her hand was out reaching for the key from the valet when a voice stopped her.

"Rory, wait."


	55. Birds of a Feather

"Rory, wait."

Rory froze. The leftover smile and warmth from the conciliatory embrace with her father wicked out of her body in a rush, leaving her cold, confused and uncertain as she stared at the welcome vision of her car and contemplated escape. The voice in her head was screaming a litany of advice; go, run, dive headfirst into that car like it's the General Lee and you're Luke Duke with Roscoe P. Coltrane hot on your heels. It was a crying shame that her feet weren't on speaking terms with the voice in her head.

"Please." She could feel him staring at her back, pleading silently with his eyes as his voice echoed in adjuration.

The edge of her car keys bit into her palm, cold and sharp and disconcertingly real. Her body tensed as thoughts fell, scattering around her like a handful of marbles hitting the icy ground and she saw endings. She pictured Humphrey Bogart watching from cold black tarmac with resigned eyes as the woman he loved climbed into a plane with another man, she watched a look between a princess and a reporter that said more eloquently than words that they both accepted the hard truth that there was no future for them and she heard Gregory Peck's hollow footsteps on marble as the camera panned to show a room that was horrible in its beautiful emptiness. All she needed now was a symphony and the visual could work. A couple on a lonely sidewalk, winter sapped trees curling in the background in sparsely elegant mockery of life and feet of empty echoing space between his outstretched hand an her rigidly turned back.

Before she could add the soundtrack real life interrupted the pure lines of art and its voice was desperate, an eloquent appeal in three short words "Please don't go."

She stayed, she wasn't married to a resistance leader and he wasn't an embittered, cynical expatriate with golden memories of Paris and it wasn't that kind of story. Not yet anyway.

Logan continued his hurried monologue "Give me sixty seconds, that's all I ask. One minute to explain or beg or grovel or whatever it takes to get you to listen to me."

She stared down at her arms crossed tight across her abdomen, holding everything in and her voice was startlingly calm when she spoke. "I'm listening."

"I'm not sorry."

Incredulity thawed her muscles in a hurry and she pivoted towards him, helpless humor and disbelief warring in her mouth before sarcasm trumped them both "Boy, you really suck at this groveling thing."

The look of self-directed horror stamped across his features would have been comical in another situation and she watched nearly bemused as he scrubbed a hand through blonde hair already disheveled past rakishly handsome and closed his eyes his voice barely above a hoarse epithet "Oh hell, that didn't come out right." Self-recrimination ripped the edges of his words raw but she didn't let it budge her.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I'm usually good at this but I'm really making a mess of it today."

She gripped her elbows tighter in defense, if he was looking for exculpation he wasn't going to get it from her. She tried not to admit that her death grip on the ball of anger still warm in her stomach had slipped a little at his tone, so miserably disgruntled that it begged for a sympathy pang.

She shook her herself mentally and gave herself a silent lecture on the finer points of not being a pushover. She had every right to be angry, every right to be upset, she deserved an explanation and she had every right to repudiate said explanation if it wasn't a damn good one. She couldn't let that little boy lost look get to her, it was trite and overplayed, he'd probably used the same act on a hundred other girls that he kept hidden from his family. That last thought kicked her in the gut and she felt the fire of anger burn a little brighter. She snatched at the edges of her cloak of indignation, trying to pull it tighter so that it would protect her from the devastating apology in his eyes and reign in the treacherous part of her that wanted to throw indignation to the wind and try for reconciliation.

Sure it was a little hypocritical to hold Logan personally responsible for the fact that his father made Mussolini seem warm and cuddly but there were plenty of other things that he clearly held the blame for in this situation. There was no need for him to know just yet that two hours of conversation with her dad and untold amounts of grease had dulled the angry edges a bit. She needed a little time and space to put it all into perspective before she doled out any clemency.

She'd come to this very reasonable decision when he started speaking again "Look I know this isn't going to come out right but I can't lie to you, I regret the whole mess today but I'm still not sorry about not telling my father about us sooner."

She suddenly had a rather violent wish for a magical power that would allow her to render people mute with the flick of a wand. If she could just tie his tongue in a knot for a few minutes to keep him quiet she might even be able to get around to forgiving him sometime this decade.

She gave him a narrow eyed look, her voice was laced with disgust directed at both of them "If you think that was an apology you are in dreadful need of a dictionary." She sighed when he looked ready to retort, and her words cut off any attempt at a witty twisted definition that would undoubtedly make her want to laugh even while she was throttling him "Look Logan, it's been a weird, confusing day and I'd rather not do this right now. I want to forget this whole thing, I really do but it sort of feels like I just stood in the path of an avalanche and I need a little time to dig myself out and figure out which way is up and you standing here telling me how not sorry you are is really not helping."

"I understand you're upset but I can't let you leave until you listen to me, just give me a chance to explain." Everything in his face radiated sincerity imploring her to hear him out and Rory thought that upset didn't really seem like an adequate word.

She pulled her arms tighter against her chest to ward off his cajoling tone, channeling Lorelai's bad ass, woman of steel attitude "I can leave any time I want, you have no say in the matter. I mean what are you going to do if I try? Are you going to hit me with a flying tackle or maybe a Karate chop, oh wait I know, you'll get me with the infamous Vulcan death grip, I bet you've got that one perfected after all your misadventures in third world countries."

He didn't smile; he just blinked rapidly at her, an owl with an eye tick. She looked pointedly at her watch "You've got forty seconds so this had better be good, one more false start and I'll have to disqualify you." She gave him a regretful half smile "Nothing I can do about that, it's in the international rules you know."

Logan gave her a truly incredulous look, eyes wide, chin on the floor, hand trapped halfway into blonde tufts of hair, boy interrupted in the flesh. "You're making a joke? My father patronized you, then dismissed you like a common busboy and I just stood there like an idle spectator at the Coliseum helpless to stop the slaughter and you think this is funny?"

She shrugged a little self consciously regretting the hereditary urge to make light

"It's what Gilmore's do. It rains, it pours, your father ditches your mother at her best friend's wedding to take care of his pregnant girlfriend, your old boyfriend skips town without so much as Dear John letter, you meet your new boyfriend's father and he looks at you like you might be a Las Vegas show girl who has conned his son into marriage during a drug induced night of debauchery and you make a joke. You laugh, because the alternative is to cry and scream and rail at the world and that is something that Gilmore's NEVER do. So yes, I suspect that you father has blood like ice in his veins and that you are terminally selfish or worse for not telling him about me. And yes, I'm a tad bit, what was the word you used, oh right, UPSET, but I made a joke anyway. It's what we do, it's how we survive." She gave him an impatient look "Now were you going to get around to the groveling part soon or are we going to discuss coping strategies for the rest of your twenty seconds?"

He gave her look that bordered on awestruck "Have I ever told you that you are amazing? Bizarre and incomprehensible but amazing."

She rolled her eyes and re-crossed her arms, determined not to give too much ground that hadn't been earned "It would have been better if you'd told your father that but at least it's a start."

He went back to the beleaguered and sorrowful little boy blue at the mention of his transgression "Look Rory, I know it sounds horrible but I'm just not sorry about keeping you a secret from my family. I've tried, but I can't do sorry, not about this."

She would have rolled her eyes but it seemed redundant at this point so she settled for a resigned sigh and held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else exasperating "Look Logan, we're not getting anywhere by continuing this conversation. You're speaking in Linear A but there is no Phaistos Disk available to make sense of it so it all just sounds like gobbledy gook and right now I've pretty much hit my quota on gobbledy gook."

He gave her a strange look "Maybe amazing isn't quite the right descriptor for you."

"I'll get you a thesaurus for Christmas to go with your new dictionary, " She shook her head in defeat "but right now I'm going home to try to make some sense of this whole indecipherable day and you are going to let me go without a fight because you're smart enough to realize that I'm going to be a lot more reasonable about the whole I'm not sorry thing after I've eaten my weight in mallomars and reread Wuthering Heights for the four hundred and twenty seventh time. "

Logan raised an eyebrow in question "Am I Heathcliff or Edgar?"

"Neither. It's not about you specifically, it's a generic reminder that vendetta's aren't all they are cracked up to be. I'll cap that off with a viewing of the Godfather trilogy and then in a couple of days I'll call you and you will explain your side and I'll probably decide that forgiveness is a much better idea than having you strangled with piano wire." She was saying all this in a very reasonable tone but Logan stopped listening and started frowning around about the second sentence in.

"A couple of days?" he said in an incredulous tone that he instantly regretted when she frowned at him.

"Need I remind you that you're not exactly in a bargaining position? I'm not asking for anything unreasonable just a little space. I think you owe me that much."

He back pedaled frantically at her testy tone "Okay, you're right, I can do space. Just call me Edwin Aldren."

"Way to be humble Buzz." Her tone was sardonic as she turned towards her car but his voice stopped her again.

His tone was worried "How about a compromise? I'll call you... tomorrow."

"Don't push your luck Huntzberger. I said I'd call, I said I'd probably forgive you, that's the best you're going to get right now." Her tone was final and he let her go this time.

She got in the car fast, before she could second guess herself, before he could wheedle her into another twenty minutes of circuitous conversation that she was way too mixed up to make sense of right now. She adjusted her rearview mirror and saw his face and made herself reach over and lock the door so that the siren song of his eyes couldn't convince her to do something foolish like climb back out of the car and kiss him.

She pulled out of the parking lot and dialed her mother wanting someone to talk her off the ledge and distract her from replaying the conversation in her head until it wore a rut in her brain. She'd already half forgiven him but that didn't mean she was just going to role over and play dead, trust had to have a higher price than a pair of cafe au lait eyes brimming with mea culpa and a titillating knowledge of literature, otherwise she was just another sellout.

It was half past three on a random Tuesday in the tail end of December. Pale grey light filtered in through the windows and every time the door opened small icy flurries of snow escaped the wintry air outside and fell into blissful puddled repose at the feet of the stairs where Lorelai stood surveying her small kingdom.

Everything was going well. Better than well actually. So there was really no reason for her to be standing in the hallway surveying anything, no reason for her to be perched at the end of the satiny smooth stair rail letting her skin prickle with icy goose bumps every time the heavy door swung inward. She should be in her nice warm office attending to the pile of invoices that was looking more like the leaning Tower of Pisa with every minute that she stood out here listening to Michel's high pitched contralto of complaint about dust ruffle ironing schedules and Sookie's off-pitch rendition of something from the Into the Woods score accompanied by the startled admonitions of her assistants as they played a rousing game of catch the hand towel before it hits the flames, and underneath it all the percussive rat a tat tat of Tom hammering an errant cedar shingle back on to the roof after it had blown off in the rain storm over the weekend.

It was a waste of time standing out here when nothing was overtly out of the ordinary at the Dragonfly Inn. Except she was nervous and she couldn't quite explain why. It was too quiet, to calm, too ordinary and that made it just the kind of day where something nasty and unexpected chose to leap out and ambush you and inevitably you ended up cleaning blood off the nice bland aesthetically pleasing wallpaper.

This wasn't a logic thing, it was just one of those things you knew, like the fact that any date that started with an orchid corsage was bound to be a disappointment, or the surety that situations that involved drinking tequila always ended badly or the certitude that a man that owned any album by Enya just wasn't the right match for a girl who loved Led Zepplin and wanted to marry David Bowie. This knowledge just was and so was the verity that any day when you got complacent and happy and called your life normal there was bound to be some casualties. She'd been wrong so far today but that meant very little, the day wasn't over yet.

She tried to pinpoint the source of the persistent niggling worry. Maybe it was concern for Rory and her lunch with Christopher. Maybe it was worry about wedding plans. Or maybe she was just nuts. She shook her head and vowed to get weird premonitions out of her head and focus on the real things that needed to be dealt with rather than conjuring enemies or problems out of thin air.

Assuring herself that she was just imaging the hair on her arms standing on end she went back to her desk and picked up the linen invoices for the fifth time but only moments later she was back to staring out the door again in a distracted state. Something was coming, something... she looked up and sucked in a breath as she heard a familar voice carrying in from the reception area.

She rose from her desk so fast that the invoices on the edge fanned back with the rush of air and muttered to herself "Something wicked this way comes." Then she snorted as she heard Michel's voice reply to a query "And he looked at me like I was crazy. Serves him right that he has to be on desk duty when the Wicked Witch shows up."

She heard another question volleyed in snappish tones and went to save him despite deserved punishments, because whining and strange looks didn't really merit evisceration even if it was Michel. Straightening her indigo jacket she marched towards the front desk of her Inn with a regimented step and her battle face on.

She stopped just inside the entrance portico and schooled her features to a welcoming albeit it frosty smile and addressed her guest. "Hello Mother."

Were she someone other than Emily Gilmore she might have started in surprise but Emily Gilmore didn't do surprise so she compensated with a deliberately rigid posture as she turned and pasted a cold smile on her face. "Hello Lorelai. I was in the area so I thought I would drop by and see if you might have time for a late lunch."

Lorelai's voice was vintage elder Gilmore, emulated then adopted just for such emotionless occasions and the censure was almost palpable. "I'm rather busy with that whole pesky little running an Inn thing. Too bad you didn't call before you just happened to wander on down to our neck of the woods, I could have penciled you in."

Emily didn't play games that she had invented so she ignored the intentional slap of disapproval and went on smoothly "A cup of coffee then, I'm sure you have time for a cup of coffee, or do you only make time for that with your boyfriend?"

Lorelai's smile tightened a fraction and she weighed her options taking in the mulish look on her mother's face and knowing that she wasn't going to find a painless way out of the impending conversation and delaying it would only make it worse. "Well since you asked so nicely. I suppose I have ten minutes that I can spare." She turned to the man behind the desk who had been watching with a rapt expression "Michel, would you please get us a pot of coffee and two cups. We'll be in the dining room. Just check for flying insults before you venture in, we wouldn't want any innocent bystanders getting hurt in the crossfire." she saw her mother's face go tight at this jibe and smiled inwardly. Score one for Lorelai.

Michel looked like he would rather slit his own wrists than walk out of this room but he went grudgingly when Lorelai gave him a glare that was meant to maim.

She turned towards the dining room with smooth controlled movements that gave the impression that she was carefully avoiding violence and gestured towards an empty table "After you mother." Emily had never heard the address of mother sound more like an expletive.

Silence reigned until they sat and Michel appeared to place the coffee on the table and then glanced at both women, clearly loathe to exit the room even after he had accomplished his task. A warning look from Lorelai had him scurrying for the desk where she had no doubt he would eavesdrop on every word but at least he would be out of danger's way should verbal daggers or china start to fly.

Lorelai poured, with hard eyes and pursed lips. Then she stared at her own full cup for what seemed like an eternity before she looked up and met her mother's eyes "What do you want mother?" This time it sounded like a sobriquet for Satan's handmaiden.

The tone stung but she followed Lorelai's lead and got straight to the point. "I want you to come to the New Year's Eve party next Saturday and I want my Friday night dinners back."

"Well while we're wishing for impossible things. I want a billion dollars and peace on earth." Lorelai toyed with the handle of her cup and her tone was dry "I think we're both going to be disappointed. At least you have years of practice." She dropped a lump of sugar in to her coffee and began to stir with the same degree of deliberation that a neurosurgeon might employ on a craniotomy.

Emily didn't flinch away from the double-edged comment, flinching was for people with less creativity, she had other ways of returning the parry. Her retort was stiff and un-amused "I don't appreciate you making this one of you jokes Lorelai. You and Rory made a bargain with us and I expect you to keep it."

Lorelai shrugged and took a sip of her coffee "Actually Rory made a bargain with you. So if that's all you came to say you've wasted a trip. Where Rory does or does not choose to spend her Friday nights really isn't up to me anymore. I've done my part. I'm not standing in her way. Rory is an adult and I am no longer her proxy. If you want to argue with her decisions I suggest you take it up with her and let me get back to work."

Emily scoffed in cold disbelief "You know she won't come back without you. It's that solidarity thing you taught her. The two of you against the enemy... and your father and I are the enemy."

Her placid countenance didn't change but Lorelai's voice did drop a few degrees when she replied, "Last time I checked people who are on your side don't try to railroad relationships because of some deluded Mother knows best complex. Enemy might not be my word but I won't argue with it."

Emily's eyes narrowed in defense "No matter what you think Lorelai that is not what happened."

Lorelai arched a quizzical eyebrow "Really mother? Because I was there and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened so unless you're going to claim that you slipped me a Rufi and I conked out for the evening and made up the whole part Melrose Place plot about you conveniently inviting Christopher to screw up things with Luke I think that this argument is bordering on pretty ridiculous territory even for you."

"Sometimes I have no idea what on earth you are talking about."

"Don't play dumb mother, it's beneath you. I'm talking about you playing Eve Harrington to my Margo Channing and stabbing me in the back. I tried to play by your rules, I brought Luke to dinner so you could play twenty rounds of humiliate and belittle the small town diner man and then he played eighteen holes of let's decide how inadequate your life is with dad and he still agreed to come to that wedding with me, not because his idea of a great Saturday night is dining on teensy tinsy appetizers and drinking tankards of sour grapes but because I asked him to come. I wanted you to accept us; I wanted you to be happy for us. Just once I wanted you to put your arm around me and tell me that you were happy that I am in love with someone who actually loves me back in the right way at the right time for the right reasons. Instead you betrayed your only daughter in some misguided attempt to make me fit into your pretty little life according to Emily schema. Well I'm sorry mother but I'm not Violetta Valery and you're no Giorgio Germont, so nice try, but you lose."

Emily's chin came up at that "You always think everything I do is some selfish attack on you but you're wrong. I've spent years watching you and the way that the two of you are together; you and Christopher love each other. I simply do not understand why you waste all your time in relationships with other men instead of going after the love of your life and getting the life that you want. I didn't understand it when you were sixteen and I don't understand it now."

Lorelai put her coffee cup down with great care before she stood up slowly and looked straight down into her mother's eyes, her own gaze intense and rock steady, her voice starkly edged "That's not the life I want. That's the life that you want for me. You're right, Christopher and I do love each other but he isn't the love of my life. We were high school sweethearts before hormones and hot heads got in the way but we were never meant to be forever. You never understood that." She took a deep slow breath to keep her voice from rising "I'm done rehashing the past and I'm done letting you use it to try to ruin my future. I'm finished playing by your rules, so listen to me very carefully because I am only going say this once. You don't have to understand, you don't have to accept, all you have to do is stay out of the way." She leaned over the table and her voice went low and deadly serious "Luke is in my life and he may not be Bono but he IS the love of my life and I'm going to marry him and I'm going to live happily ever after with him and there isn't a damn thing that you can do to stop me."

She took a deep slow breath and straightened slowly picking up the half empty pot with great deliberation and then reaching for her coffee cup "Now if you don't mind, I think I'll skip the rest of this happy little reunion and get back to work."

Emily moved quicker than Lorelai thought was possible and caught her wrist before she could pull it back " I do mind. We are not finished here."

Lorelai looked in her mother's eyes, searching for something, some flicker of apology, some acknowledgement of the pain she had caused, some reaction but saw nothing but her own face mirrored back. Some things never changed. Lorelai kept her voice hard even as her heart twisted in disappointment "Yes, we are mother. Now get out of my Inn before I have to call Tom in and have you thrown out in the snow on your ass. It would be a shame to ruin that nice Chanel suit just for the sake of getting in the last word."

Emily's hand tightened and her voice was even and clearly enunciated "You may be finished but I am not. Sit down Lorelai. I have something to say."

Lorelai's tone was clipped and dismissive "I think I'll stand, the list of things that I want to hear from you is pretty limited, I'm sure I won't be here long."

Emily released Lorelai's wrist and threaded her hands together in front of her on the table, an old mannerism that spoke to her desire for rigid control. "Suit yourself."

"I usually do." Lorelai said with a sharp tone but then bit her tongue as her mother looked down at her napkin and took a deep breath. Could it be...?

"I did what I thought was best. I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear?" Emily's tone was almost belligerent, like a five year old begrudgingly confessing to having broken her favorite toy.

For a minute relief and irrational amusement warred in Lorelai's mind as she stared down at her mother and tried to absorb her almost apology. She fought to keep her voice stern. "That's a start."

" I apologized. What more do you want from me Lorelai?" Emily snapped.

"You almost apologized, it's not quite the same thing and its not enough, not this time because this wasn't just about me. You really want us to go back to weekly dinners then you're going to have to give me something more. You're going to have to apologize to Luke."

"Excuse me?" Emily managed to sound incredulous which Lorelai almost had to applaud given the circumstances.

Lorelai spoke very slowly in exaggerated drawn out syllables "Apologize to Luke."

Emily gave her a haughtily dignified look "Do not speak to me like I am the village idiot Lorelai."

"Then don't say things that make George Bush look like a MENSA member in comparison." Lorelai said in an easy tone.

"That was uncalled for Lorelai."

Lorelai allowed herself one small shark toothed smile "Maybe, but it was satisfying." She crossed her arms and gave her mother an implacable look "I'll give it you point blank, it's time to meet your Waterloo. You can walk into Luke's quaint rustic little diner that you impugned to his face and tell him that you, Emily Gilmore, made a mistake. Tell him that you are sorry and for the record you must actually use that word, sorry. In fact I would use it several times if I were you, just to be sure he's got the message. You give Luke a real apology, not the Gilmore version and we'll talk about Friday night dinners." She waited for a beat but when no response was forthcoming from Emily she tapped her foot impatiently "Or you can pick up your fancy bag and go outside and get in your fancy car and drive back to your fancy house and expect to get a Christmas card from me once a year telling you how great life is in my happy little world that is completely fancy-free." She waited for another breath to pass, her mother's face to grow impassive once more, all that disbelief settling back into calm planes and angles, a transformation that she remembered from the time that she was a young child. Emily Gilmore coming to a decision, it could have been time-lapse photography like a montage of a leaf slowly wilting, dying, and becoming a mere skeleton of leafy veins. "What's it going to be mother, eat humble pie down here with us commoners or stick with the stiff upper crust?"

Emily stood up with dignity and managed to look elegant even in defeat as she nodded once in acquiesance "I'll expect to see you at the New Year's Eve party next Saturday night."

Lorelai gave her a tight smile "You have a nice crow sandwich for lunch and I'll even put on my extra-fancy party dress."

"Seven o'clock sharp." Emily said in her best no nonsense voice.

"I'll do my best impression of a Conestoga wagon." Lorelai said gaily, picturing a team of bell-laden oxen in her mother's foyer as she ignored her annoyed look and escorted her to the door, feeling good about the way this unexpected ambush had been turned to her advantage. Two could play this little game after all and sometimes you could even win a round or two.

Emily was halfway across the small parking lot when she threw her parting shot. "We'll talk about the engagement announcement at dinner next week and the wedding date, I assume you will be deciding that soon, it's the polite thing to do."

She closed her eyes and sighed all her triumphant feelings of a moment ago effectively drowned. She should have known she could never win. No one ever won against Emily Gilmore. "See you Saturday mother."

A moment later she heard an engine purr to life and Lorelai let her eyelids lift staring unblinkingly as German made taillights dimmed in the distance and she thought about thumbscrews and family dinners and how she really felt like kicking something. Hard. Even if it did ruin her favorite pair of Kenneth Cole heels. It was a small price to pay for catharsis.

The phone rang before she could focus her murderous intent on a hapless target and she sighed in defeat and pulled the phone from her pocket.

"Lorelai speaking."

"Mom, where are you?" Rory's voice sounded a little on the tight side."

Lorelai leaned back against the closed front door as she stared down at the shoes that had narrowly missed an untimely demise "I'm at the Inn and you have impeccable timing, you just saved me ninety bucks for a new pair of shoes."

Rory's tone lightened a little. "So you owe me."

"That's one way to look at." Lorelai said carefully, curious as to the direction of this statement.

"Great, works for me. Meet me at home in fifteen and bring some of Sookie's cookies, I don't care what kind, just make sure there is chocolate in them."

Lorelai winced, forgetting her own close encounters of the Gilmore kind and recalling her daughter's recent assignation with the exiled. "That bad huh?"

Rory's voice was glum "There should have been a background score by Ennio Morrricone."

Lorelai chuckled but kept her voice sympathetic "Sounds like we've hit Divine Comedy levels. How about I bring cookies AND rocky road ice cream."

Rory's tone turned curious "Is there something I should know?"

Lorelai mimicked her daughter's early glum tone "We're going to New Years Eve at Rose Red and the cover charge is my soul."

"Just a guess but I'm going to say that's Stephen King code for you talked to Grandma and Grandpa?"

Lorelai stared back down the now empty access road "I had coffee with Buono, Bianchi stayed home this time."

Rory gave a little whistle "Wow, comparing them to the Hillside Stranglers, that must have been some conversation."

Lorelai straightened off the door as she suddenly thought about her mother storming Luke's diner like General Patton on his way through Brittany and poor unprepared Luke with nothing but a spatula and a frying pan to defend himself. "Speaking of which you'd better make that twenty minutes, I've got some damage control to do."

"I'll stop at the movie place, I'm think Godfather and Donnie Darko would fit the mood."

"Horse heads and six foot rabbits named Frank, perfect. I'll bring oranges, but who, pray tell are we planning to kill?"

"I haven't decided yet. So, twenty minutes?"

"It's a date kid."

Lorelai dialed quickly after Rory hung up and waited with her bottom lip snugged against her teeth while the phone rang on the other end. She spoke in a rush when the phone was answered on the other end "My mother may be visiting you soon."

"Wha...?" Luke sounded surprised bordering on frightened.

"She's coming to apologize."

"To me?" Now if anything Luke sounded close to panic.

"No time to explain. Just let her do the talking and call me to tell me what she said."

"But she's..."

"I'll be at home. Come over when you're done if you want to. We'll be watching the Don, you might need the lesson after talking to Emily."

"Lor..." Luke stared at the phone in his hand as the dial tone rang in his ear "she's already here." He muttered to the non-responsive phone and then hung it up with a heavy hand before he turned to face his counter and stopped trying to figure out what in god's name would possess Emily Gilmore to come to his diner and order a cheeseburger.

It was four thirty in the afternoon on a Tuesday that already felt three weeks too long.

Logan was staring into a rather tepid pint of beer...still his first...and he was thinking about oxymorons. A fine mess, that one pretty much described his day in a nutshell. Comedic tragedy, there was a good commentary on his life as a whole. A harmless lie, a necessary evil, a loyal deceit, a victimless crime, those all fell under the heading of insanely logical excuses he'd used to justify action that had led to this moment of tragical mirth with a thunderous silence surrounding him. He contemplated his role as an honorable villain and felt an exponential increase in the pain in his head caused by the numbing sensation of a dull knife to the conscience.

Yes, today had proved it once and for all. He was the perfect screw-up.

At least he had an excellent vocabulary. That's what you got for being the son of a famous journalist/newspaper magnate. Lunch was a re-enactment of the Battle of Midway but at least he had some nice punchy descriptors for the scene. He had a whole slew of adjectives for the emotional rollercoaster that had so many loops and spirals and switchbacks that it made the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point seem like a nice little ride on the Mickey's teacups.

There might have been too many twists and turns to count but he had a catchy colorful portrayal of each and every one. He'd gone from flash-frozen shock to volcanic rage with the click of a cell phone in his father's hand, flagrant belligerence shifting fluidly into gelid disgust at his father's imperturbable countenance, glacial hostility completing its metamorphosis to blatant ignominy when his father dismissed his girlfriend, his feelings and him as if they were simply beneath his notice, too inconsequential a detail to waste a single second more of Mitchum Huntzberger's precious time. He felt the anger tighten his muscles even now, hours later and he gripped his glass tighter in reaction.

"I'll have whatever he's having." A voice next to him startled Logan out of his reverie and he turned his head in bewilderment to see Stephanie removing a pink down jacket that reminded him of cotton candy and sliding onto a stool next to him at the bar.

He blinked twice in surprise having expected to have the dingy confines of Connor's all to himself. He frowned "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Aspen until next week?"

Stephanie gave him a playful look of mock affront "Gee I'm really glad to see you too. You know if had a smaller ego I might be crushed by a greeting like that. Lucky for you I know how fantastic I am so I don't take other people's doldrums personally." When this got nothing but a small snort from Logan before he resumed his vacant staring at the amber liquid in his glass she went on "You do have a good memory for dates though. I was supposed to be in Aspen but I got bored. Nothing but skiing and hot-tubbing for a week straight is enough to make me start painting Redrum on everything."

"I feel for you."

She continued unperturbed by his sarcasm "So I called Colin and it turns out he was bored too, all that sand and sun makes him grouchy and he was starting in on the Paradise Lost quotes already and we all know it's pretty much downhill from there. So long story short, we decided to come home early."

Logan gave her a little smirk "That's a touching story but I would sort of think that it should end with you and the other half of we smooching in a dark corner and calling each other snookums or sugarpuff so you can keep your title as most saccharine couple of the year? You should get right on that, I haven't felt the urge to gag in over a week, I'm beginning to feel out of practice."

Stephanie glared at him but it was mostly for show and her tone wasn't nearly as insulted as she looked when she glanced up at the bartender again "On second thought I think I'll have a gin and tonic, I'm worried there is something in that beer that will make my face look like his." She gestured at Logan with a smile at the bartender who gave a little snort of agreement before he turned to make her drink. She gave Logan a sharp look through her lashes her tone turning more playful "You know, normally I would take your head off for a comment like that but I'll make an exception this time since you are obviously out of sorts today and it's just no fun to kick a guy who is already lying on the ground." She gave a little sigh as a rueful smile tilted the corner of her mouth "Besides I'm a tiny bit afraid that you might be right about that whole sappy upchuck reflex thing, so lets talk about something else."

She smiled at the bartender as he brought her drink and then turned in her seat, her full attention of her friend. "Come on Oscar, crawl out of you garbage can and tell Tinkerbelle all about your troubles. Maybe I can sprinkle a little pixie dust on them and they will all disappear."

Logan gave her an irritated look "Where is the missing half anyway? I bet he's a lot more fun to bother than I am."

Stephanie stirred her gin with a red swizzle stick, kicking her feet against the legs of the bar stool and giving him her best winsome smile "His plane was delayed in New York so it's just you and me gloomy Gus. With all of Yale on hiatus we're the only two losers in the whole city who have nothing better to do than drink at 4 in the afternoon so I guess you're the only entertainment I've got. Better make it good after that snookums comment."

Logan gave a sigh that all but cried 'why me' but then he went back to staring woefully at his beer and switched tacks abruptly "Who says I have troubles?"

Stephanie's face was a study in disbelief "Your face for one. You're channeling that guy from Lost in Translation, it's not your usual role and I have to say that's a damn good thing because pathetic really is not your look, clashes with those Huntzberger cheek bones and it's all wrong with that smirk."

He glared at her but she sailed glibly on "I've known you long enough to know that there is a very limited list of things that make a guy like you look like Hugh Grant after Elizabeth Hurley got a hold of the tabloid pictures so you can either tell me or I'll start guessing." When he didn't fill in the blank space between words she started ticking things off her fingers "I'm guessing fight with someone in the family category, father, brother, mother, or all of the above, or it could be a fight with Rory or someone in her family, or..." she paused as if contemplating. "Nope, I'm out. That's it. You don't care enough about Wall Street or politics to look like you're half a beer away from being a Conway Twitty song so it's gotta be one of those, girl troubles or family troubles. Care to end my suspense?

He gave her a hard look but finally gave up with a sigh when she remained unmoved by his glare with her eyebrows raised in a inquisitive expression that said very clearly that she had all the time in the world and there was a greater chance of the devil himself appearing to serve them cocktail peanuts than that she would walk out of this bar without getting an answer to her question. He gave a disgusted sigh. "Both. It was both, okay, are you happy now?"

Her eyes had turned avid with interest "Not even close but the afternoon is looking up. Details please." When he went back to staring stiff lipped at his drink she gave him a poke in the shoulder "Don't even try that poker face thing with me, you haven't won this game since we were eight and you're not going to win it now. You have two choices, either tell me know or tell me later, after I have tortured it out of you."

"You aspiring to be Bloody Mary today?"

"Only if it involves vodka, I don't go in for that whole religious persecution thing." She paused to contemplate "I won't complain if you call me Highness though."

"I pity Colin." He said darkly with something that sounded less like pity more like a plea for rescue.

She just laughed "You're trite when you are pouting so let's just skip to the end and get the good part where you tell me all the sordid details."

Logan gave up the fight "Look there is really nothing to tell. Rory and my father met at lunch, it didn't go well. I ended up here drinking alone at 4 in the afternoon while HER father is probably out finding someone to rip off all my fingernails with a dirty pair of pliers."

"Her father? Did I miss the part where your life became an episode of Dynasty?" Stephanie held up a hand "Never mind, start at the beginning. Rory was at lunch with you and your father." she supplied helpfully and then waited for him to continue.

Logan sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face "Not quite. Rory was at lunch with her father and I was at lunch with my father and it happened to be at the same place at the same time, it was a complete coincidence, a fucking awful, catastrophic but entirely unpremeditated coincidence."

"I'm thinking Finn would be quoting a line from Macbeth right about here in the conversation but I'll refrain because I'm sure I wouldn't do it justice."

"Fool or not the guy does a mean Scottish witch."

Stephanie quickly veered back to the topic of interest "So back to our fateful scene, boy meets girl, girl meets boys' father, boy meets girl's father, fathers meet each other... did I miss anything?"

He smiled ruefully "You forgot the we all descend to the seventh level of hell part."

Stephanie turned with avid eyes and big smile that said tell me all your secrets "Well you were just getting to that part."

"Right. Here goes. I'm having lunch with my dad so you can imagine the scene, cold silence interrupted by frigid silence occasionally broken by wintry silence. So we're getting ready to order our impossibly over priced salads and suddenly I look up and there is Rory, walking across the restaurant towards me all innocent and smiling and unaware that the Ice Man Cometh. I leap before I think I and try to head her off less than successfully, then her father shows up directly behind her being all friendly and nonchalant like last time we met he didn't want to rip my arms off for touching his daughter and he makes a joke. It's some sort of genetic thing, I don't really get it, but then my father is Nero, so why would I? Nero is pretty observant though and this little assemblage clearly can't escape his notice for long so he stands up and introduces himself. Rory's dad shakes his hand and it's one of those nice polite, I'm judging your net worth by your handshake sort of affairs, exactly what you would expect. Then Rory shakes my father's hand, and she's doing that cute babbling thing she does because she's excited to meet the Mr. Journalist Legend Huntzberger and my father smiles at her, you know the smile I'm talking about, the I'm imagining all the ways that I'm going to grind you to dust smile and I'm wishing that I had one of those handy giant drills that the Underminer has in the Incredibles so that I could dig myself to China in a hurry. Then it's all over, my father calls her Lori and excuses himself to make a call and Rory looks at me like I'm some sort of horror flick monster and her father threatens to castrate me with his eyes and I stand like a mute. That's pretty much it."

Stephanie frowned and shook her head slightly "Okay, maybe I'm just slow on the uptake today considering I'm drinking gin and it's only 2:30 in Colorado but I missed something in that overly dramatic retelling. I mean I know your father is a bastard but how could he not like Rory? She's smart, she's got wealthy blood and she looks like an angel all pure and haloed and practically puritanical next to most of your former 'girlfriends'. "

Logan looked her straight in the eye for the first time since she'd arrived at the bar and the sheer self-loathing in his gaze made her suck in a breath to brace for the shock of whatever he would say next. "I never told my family about us. My father had never heard the name Rory Gilmore before today. He had no idea who she was and he made that blatantly clear to everyone in the room."

Stephanie grimaced, she couldn't help it "Okay... yeah... that's not good. I'm not sure I would go as far as fucking awful and catastrophic but definitely high on the bonehead scale."

"There's more."

She sighed and took a sip of her drink as if to steel herself "Of course there is."

"She told me she loved me."

Stephanie's eyebrows pulled together in confusion "Today? With the daddy duo standing right there?" she gave a little whistle of appreciation "That girl has some guts, I guess it's true what they say about the sweet looking ones being..."

Logan interrupted impatiently "Not today, last week."

Stephanie looked even more perplexed "She told you she loved you last week. What does this have to do with lunch and why is this bad?"

"Well it's not bad all by itself, in fact it was pretty good at the time, but I was so surprised that I didn't say it back and then I was too much of a coward to say it later and I've met her family, I've met her whole damn town actually and they want to adopt me... which is not as creepy as it sounds and then here she finds out that I didn't even tell my family about her and my father was a cold hearted bastard and treated her like she was the hired help in public."

Stephanie stared at him implacably for a minute and then blinked slowly as if surprised "That's it?" He was clearly appalled by this question but she kept going " I mean the way you were talking I thought maybe you stabbed her father with a fork in a fit of pique or she caught you making out with her mother or something. I mean I hate to break it to you knowing how much you were enjoying your little one man lynching here but the way I see it this 'problem' of yours is a non-problem. No wait, hear me out." She held up a hand when he seemed ready to protest. "So you didn't say I love you at the drop of a hat, so what, she obviously already accepted that, it'll mean more when you do say it." She rolled her eyes at his thoughtless noise of denial "Don't even try to convince me you won't say it. You've got the beautiful sickness and you're terminal. As for the family disclosure thing, you actually sort of did her a favor, not that you should say that to her... ever... but we all know, the less time she had to spends in the company of the Bathory clan the better. Your father treats everyone but the President of the United States like they are the help and the guy's heart hasn't been above absolute zero in decades. This is not news. If she really loves you then she'll forgive you fact that you were just the tiniest bit stupid and she'll love you even more when you use that Huntzberger charm to convince her that you were really just doing it to protect her. All you have to do is bring her coffee, grovel a little, apologize profusely and then move on." Stephanie brushed her palms together "Problem solved." She grabbed her drink and took a celebratory swig.

Unfortunately Logan looked less than elated at this news and his voice remained subdued "I did apologize, sort of. Well, I meant to apologize but I screwed that up too."

Stephanie set her glass down with a loud clink and her voice held resigned horror "What did you say?"

"I said I wasn't sorry."

She closed her eyes "and what did she say?"

"She said she would forgive me... eventually, and then she said she needed space and she left."

Stephanie's eyes snapped open and she looked mad as hell now "And you didn't follow her?"

Logan looked surprised at the admonition "Uh."

She looked as if she might shake him "She said she'd forgive you and you didn't follow her? What do you want an engraved invitation?"

Logan was getting irritated now "She said eventually. She didn't want me to follow her, she seemed pretty clear on that point...she said..."

Stephanie put her forehead in her had and her tone was woeful "You are living proof of the deleterious effects of love on the male intellect."

"Excuse me?"

"Translation. Love makes boys stupid and you just became exhibit A." Stephanie shook her head as if in disbelief "Never thought I'd live to see the day."

Logan gave her a sulky look "Who nominated you as the de facto expert on love? If I remember correctly your love life wasn't exactly a model of romantic perfection before last month."

Stephanie gave him a haughty look "I was just practicing for the real thing."

"How very revisionist of you." Logan said with a sneer.

She rolled her eyes "Spare me the petty insults and the indignation, both very unbecoming in a guy."

Logan gave a little huff before he relented "Fine great oracle, tell me, what to do you think I should do?"

"Talk to her, tell her the truth, don't let her run away and don't get defensive when she doesn't immediately understand the kind of issues you're talking about, you've got a little language barrier to deal with, you grew up in Vietnam and she grew up on the set for Happy Days so you've got to do a little explaining."

"That's it? That's your brilliant advice? Just tell her the truth and all will be forgive?" Logan gave her a skeptical look. "You'll pardon me if I don't send out a nomination letter to Stockholm just yet."

Stephanie sighed impatiently "Look Logan, from what you've told me it sounds like she's already basically forgiven you but that doesn't mean she won't make you suffer a little. Call it reparation for sins of omission and pay up. That's my advice. Take it or leave it."

He stared at her for a long moment weighing her words and then he pulled his phone out of his pocket with a decisive nod "Okay. Here goes nothing."

Before he dial the first number Stephanie reached over and snatched the phone from him and snapped it shut. She wagged the confiscated phone from side to side "Not on the phone. Too easy to hang up, no eye contact, no Huntzberger drop 'em where they stand smile to fall back on when all else fails. You've got to do this in person otherwise you're dead."

"Sometimes you're way too bossy for your own good."

"You're just mad because I'm right." She said with a smile, still holding the phone well out of his reach."

He stood up "Fine. You win. I'm going." He held out a hand and she plopped the phone into it with a victorious smile. Then he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

Her voice trailed after him. "You'll thank me later."

She was probably right but he wasn't in the mood to be agreeable so he just rolled his eyes "Don't hold your breath."

Her laughter followed him out the door and into the street where he climbed into his car and headed back to fantasyland.


End file.
